TROY – Automation Alley Executive Director Ken Rogers participated in a follow-up teleconference to President Obama’s “Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth” in February.
The forum took place in December 2009 and was designed as an opportunity for the President and his team to hear from some of the nation’s leading CEOs, small business owners, labor leaders, thinkers, nonprofits and others about their ideas for continuing to grow the economy and put Americans back to work.
Rogers addressed his comments to a group of leaders from the nation’s workforce development community, including Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, who chaired the call with Melody Barnes, director of President Obama’s Domestic Policy Council. He targeted three particular areas of interest relating to Southeast Michigan’s technology community:
? The need to increase access to capital for small businesses and to maintain a consistent regulatory environment for banks that lend to small businesses
? Increase federal investments in regional industry technology clusters
? Support for a permanent and refundable federal R&D tax credit for technology companies (as they have in Canada)
“It’s important that the current administration understand the challenges facing Southeast Michigan’s businesses,” said Ken Rogers, executive director. “I am pleased that we were given the opportunity to continue the conversation from December and hope that the presented policy ideas come to fruition.”
For additional information, click on AutomationAlley.Com
a>>
