This was no ordinary Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Meeting. The luncheon, held today at the Holiday Inn on 29N, acknowledged the unprecedented dark national economic cloud by inviting Congressman Tom Perriello to explain what the federal government has been trying to do for us lately, while declaring that the results of the annual member economic survey about the state of the Charlottesville economy warrant a “glass half-full” mentality.
In a sober tone reminiscent of President Obama’s inauguration address, Perriello said that the country should expect “a continued period of pain and struggle,” noting double-digit unemployment in some southern Virginia counties.
“We’re bleeding jobs right now,” he said. “Before we start to heal, we need to stop the bleeding.”
He then went on to tout the practical, if not certain, hope embodied in the recently passed stimulus package, emphasizing its tax cuts for the middle class, its $2,500 tuition tax credit, and its plans for rebuilding an infrastructure that, he said, is “three generations out of date,” and doesn’t help the nation compete globally.
Finally, he spoke of how he hasn’t found Washington, D.C., to be a land of disillusionment. About the country’s economic woes, he said, “There’s a deep, deep desire to do something about it.” He also noted that when he’s met with officials on a local level, party affiliation and partisanship has not been an issue.
Bob Hodous, the Chamber’s vice chairman for Economic Vitality, initiated the “glass half-full” image for the state of the local economy, which was later seconded by Chairman Bryan Thomas.
The Chamber conducted a survey of local businesses, which only 7 percent returned, and its results were projected onto large screen. It indicated, for example, that less than a third of surveyed companies plan to add jobs during 2009. However, it also indicated that merely 8 percent of companies expect to eliminate between one and five jobs over the course of the year.
“There are a lot of positive signs,” Hodous said.
The last part of the luncheon was dedicated to giving out the annual award for corporate citizenship. This year’s recipient is Martin Horn of Martin Horn, Inc. General Contractors, whose projects have included the Jefferson Library and the Charlottesville Pavilion.