>> Register for MMAC's All Member Meeting Tuesday, November 10, 2009  -  11:30-1:30 PM Bradley Center, Milwaukee Public Policy Agenda   The Blueprint for Economic Prosperity, 2007-2009 Four years ago, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) drafted its Blueprint for Economic Prosperity, a groundbreaking public policy agenda to empower the Milwaukee Region to compete successfully with other regional economies.  Our liabilities and assets are tied to a common balance sheet.  To significantly improve the bottom line of this balance sheet, we have integrated our public policy agenda with our economic development efforts under the Milwaukee 7 campaign.  This partnership of Southeast Wisconsin counties is providing us with a new, reinvigorated perspective. To develop our platform for 2007-2009, the Association's leadership participated in a comprehensive survey to define the most critical objectives.  This input will guide our efforts and drive our resources – your investment dollars – toward building a strong economic foundation for the region. To view more detailed information, please click on the catagories below.

Small Business Legislative Agenda   To advance public policy issues of specific interest to small business, the Council of Small Business Executives (COSBE) has developed a small business legislative agenda.  To view  the current framework, click here >>

Education

• Support and promote a vibrant system of high-performing, quality education options - MPS, Choice Schools, Charter Schools, Virtual Schools - as a critical economic asset for our region.
• Enable more effective education-to-workforce linkages through business representation on the MATC Board.

 Taxes

• Align local public employee benefit costs to national average.
• Support tax incentives to support regional economic development and competitiveness:
  • Increase amount and availability of Angel Investment and Early Stage Seed tax credits
  • Create a capital gains tax exemption for gains re-invested in Wisconsin businesses
  • Increase funding for Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership's lean manufacturing assistance program
  • Create a Next Generation Manufacturing Tax Credit

Infrastructure

• Ensure timely design and completion of critical highway infrastructure projects:
  • I-94 North-South expansion and reconstruction
  • Zoo Interchange expansion and reconstruction
• Create a regional transit governance entity and secure a dedicated funding source for transit.

 Health Care

• Support market-based health care reforms that empower consumers:
  •  Create a Wellness Tax Credit for employers
  •  Make HSAs tax-exempt
  •  Increase consumer access to accurate information concerning health care costs and quality
• Leverage additional federal funds to ensure fair funding for Medicaid services to reduce the pass-thru of unreimbursed health care costs to individuals with insurance.

Economic Development

• Through our partnership with the Milwaukee 7 we will: 
  •  Conduct business call programs in the following economic sectors:
    • Financial services
    • Water industries
    • Headquarter companies
  • Continue business expansion and attraction efforts
    
• Continue to grow the Supplier Diversity Module - a network that connects minority businesses and large corporations
  • Generate 30% growth in 2008

Talent Attraction and Retention/FUEL Milwaukee

• Grow more "Great Places to Work"
  • Benchmark employer workplace flexibility through participation in the U.S. Chamber's "When Work Works" flexibility assessment and awards recognition program
  • Kick-off FUEL's Executive HR Council, an exclusive peer setting for top-level HR executives
• Increase community engagement
  • Utilize FUEL Online to encourage and empower community engagement and impact of FUEL members
• Improve regional image
  • Launch FUEL's Ambassador Program
  • Work with Milwaukee 7 to create and offer additional resources to more effectively promote the region to talent