Thursday, August 13, 2015

National Black Chamber of Commerce 2015 Annual Conference

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

By Norris McDonald

The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) held its annual conference in Hollywood, Florida from Wednesday, August 5 - Saturday, August 8, 2015.  I participated on a panel titled, 'How do the Proposed EPA Ozone Regulations Affect My Business.'   I thoroughly enjoyed attending the conference.
The NBCC is promoting that the air is getting cleaner but asthma is getting worse.  Thus, they say that not only will the proposed EPA ozone rule will not only NOT be met, but will serve as a developmental, operations and regional deterrent to business sustainability.   The NBCC believes that reducing the ozone standard to 65 parts per billion (ppb) from the current 75 ppb will prevent business development because of the penalties in the Clean Air Act: restriction on building permits and halting highway funds.  According to the NBCC, if a state is in noncompliance, businesses will go elsewhere.  Urban areas are usually in non-attainment for ozone.  So business will not locate in these areas, according to the NBCC.  



But does NBCC have an alternative proposal to replace the EPA ambient molecular-level regulatory restrictions?  They do not.

Harry Alford and Steve Higley
Norris McDonald and Arnold Baker

The  'How do the Proposed EPA Ozone Regulations Affect My Business' panel was moderated by Bill Kovacs, Environment Director for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

AAEA has offered that we could join their campaign if they endorse our Energy Defense Reservations (EDR) Program.  We believe that a global warming world will far outstrip obtuse, bureaucratic National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).  The air might be getting better in general, but asthma rates in minority areas continue to go up.  Not only could the EPA regs NOT clean the air and impose uncertainty and constraints on businesses, it might also be increasing asthma rates in minority areas by not mitigating air pollution in those areas.  Anybody who looks at the maze of Clean Air Act regulations will see a Rubik's Cube of regulatory confusion.  Add business sector litigation to that and you have a mess.  What you don't have is a strategy to clean the air in minority community communities or mitigate global warming (no, those regs aren't going to work either).

We are inviting the NBCC and the U.S. Chamber to adopt our (Center for Environment, Commerce & Energy) energy, air and global warming mitigation plan.

The conference was absolutely great.  The theme of the conference was, 'The Family Business.'  It featured: Baker/Dundas, Boyd, Biagas, Alford/Debow and Hall.   The conference was at the luxurious Diplomat Resort and Spa, which sits right on the Atlantic Ocean.  I had a great view from my room.

Dr. Ben Carson was scheduled to appear at the conference, but the first GOP debate was on that night. He sent a video to address 'Our Family Values,' before the group.

Panels included: Opportunity for the Family Business, Our Family Meeting (w/ Fox Business Network's Charles Payne), The Family Wallet, How To Access and Extract Business and Economic Data, HBCUs are Good For the Family Business, International Family Business, Country Presentations,  Other activities included a screening of the new film, 'The Man in 3B.'  There was also a Celebrity Charitable Runway Fashion Show.





Sponsors included: MyWireless.org, Verizon, Facebook, Penn National Gaming, Inc., KOCH, TIAA-CREF, Georgia Pacific, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Bay Electric Co, Inc., U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Fed Ex, Consumers for Smart Solar, CTIA (The Wireless Association), Chevron, Gulf Power (A Southern Company), Southwest airlines, EDMC (Education Management Corporation, Intuit, American Chemistry Council, Photobella, Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce and The Hatchett Firm.

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