News
MAKING FRIENDLY WITH BUSINESS
October 21, 2011
| Gov. O'Malley issued an Executive Order Monday for state agencies to spend 60 days reviewing their regulations for barriers to economic development and job creation. |
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| Ballard Spahr Baltimore head Jon Laria (also chair of the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission) tells us he testified on Tuesday before the state General Assembly on how to make it easier for businesses to get things done in Maryland. The plan is to introduce a reform package to the assembly in January. The state's business friendliness is an issue for Baltimore, which is struggling to stay vibrant, and in the DC metro, where MD competes for biz with Virginia. |
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| Jon also just helped the University of Maryland BioPark (just west of the university's campus) expand its PUD and footprint. It'll include one of the world's rare proton beam cancer treatment centers (above, in red—what color did you expect for proton beams?). The $250M center will start this year, but buildout takes a mighty long time considering it includes a proton accelerator (which needs to be shipped from the Starship Enterprise). U of M's BioPark, university, and Medical System campuses should all benefit from the news that Red Line funding is moving ahead, with hopes for a stop on or near the campus and BioPark, Jon says. |
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| Jon battled 20 mph winds on the Eastern Shore, on top of 30 mph gusts, in this past weekend's 100-mile (with 3.47 more tacked on for good measure) Seagull Century bike ride. Crosswinds mean there was no tailwind, so he was biking barefoot uphill both ways and finished in nine hours, including rest stops. 9,000 riders joined him |
