In 2011 the first of the baby boomer generation began turning 65 years old. Near daily stories in the media are generated about the issues, needs, impact, influence and sheer size of the eldest of our population. The growing discourse includes changes to retirement trends, the fact that the 55+ age group is the fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs, the call to advertisers that they can no longer afford to ignore this audience, and announcements of new outlets catering to these demographics. From aging-in-place technologies to social and mobile media, to the spending power of grandparents, the overall wealth of opportunities in meeting the needs of this mature market is the purpose of the ninth annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit, being held March 28 in Washington, D.C. There the country?s leading analysts, top researchers and executive strategists will gather to introduce new research, products and services, and to present the definitive ways to reach and successfully sell to baby boomers and senior consumers. It is the event to meet the entrepreneurs and brand teams pursuing the baby boomer customer, and learn the marketing strategies that work to reach them.

It opens with a keynote delivered by veteran political strategist Donna Brazile, on ?Designing a Personalized Business Model for the New Economy?. Jody Holtzman, SVP of Thought Leadership Group at AARP will define and examine the entrepreneurial and market opportunities related to the new Longevity Economy. His keynote will unearth current economic activity related to the demographic phenomenon of people living longer, richer lives and will address areas where the needs and wants of Americans 45 and older are not being met. Also, he will present a new framework for approaching both the societal needs and economic opportunities related to a changing and vital population.

The event tracks will explore trends in the following areas, with agenda highlights:

    Innovation and frugality
    Baby boomers have the money and desire to bond with their grandchildren, but given today’s investment climate, will there be money in the future for them to inherit? Moderator Lori Bitter, President, Crew Media, will get Jodi Olshevski, Assistant VP, The Hartford, Robert Stephen, VP, My Home & Family Portfolio, IVS-Portfolio Management, AARP, and Sandy Timmermann, Assistant Vice President, MetLife and Director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute to tell what are the changes and choices in work, retirement, and for money protection that older adults can make to thrive in the age of lowered expectations.
    It is the mature consumer segment that is currently generating the most interest and excitement?grandparents. The grandparent economy is large (40 million), growing and lucrative. Grandparents are spending money on necessities, learning and luxury for their grandchildren. They are investing in tuition, tutoring, and technology. Missy Sullivan, Senior Editor of the Wall Street Journal?s Smart Money, and Robert Stephen, VP, My Home & Family Portfolio, IVS-Portfolio Management, AARP, identify the business ecosystem of brands baby boomers are embracing with this new role.
    Baby boomer women are the chief purchasing officers, chief caregiving officers, and chief healthcare officers for their families. They often influence purchase decisions in travel and investment for themselves and extended families. Myrna Blyth, Editor in Chief of ThirdAge.com shares insights from her inspiring panel of women in new media and business.

    Integrated media and marketing, social, mobile, gaming
    Moderated by Deborah Jacobs of Forbes, the ?Tech Trends? session will answer what mature consumers want most from their smart phones, tablets, and the Internet itself. Laurie Orlov, Founder, Aging in Place Technology Watch, and Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, will present the latest data to answer this, and discuss how that information can drive investment and strategies of companies small and large.
    ?Boomer Trends in E-tailing, Retailing and Mobile Commerce? session delves into dramatic changes in consumer buying behavior in an online and mobile world. It is forcing retailers to think, staff and partner in new ways. Moderated by Gail Kirby, PhD, Marketing, Santa Clara University, she will have Jeff Hasen, CMO, Hipcricket and Candace Corlett, President, WSL Strategic Retail navigate the multiple-channel world of today.
    Attendees will discover the latest trends in how companies are using media to drive leads, with industry leaders that include AARP?s Director of Social Communications & Strategy, Tammy Gordon.
    Beth Carpenter, Digital Distribution, AARP brings with her one of the many bright minds from Google for the in-demand session ?Using Google, Facebook and Twitter to Build Your Business? that will aid businesses by showing them how to leverage Google’s many free products to maximize web traffic, conduct search engine optimization, and use tools such as Ad Words, Twitter, and Facebook to connect and engage potential customers.

    The new service economy of housing, caregiving, mobility and healthcare
    The prospect of a stalled homebuilding industry creating a surge in age-in-place remodeling is explored by Steve French, Managing Director, Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), and Gail Gibson Hunt, President & CEO, National Alliance for Caregiving. They explain why wireless home health technology will blossom in the face of health reform, and debate if the growing number of caregivers (and their policy influence) will get the attention of Congress.
    The ?Health Services 3.0? panel will consider the businesses that are meeting baby boomers on their technology platform of choice when it comes to managing their health. Examining the burgeoning mHealth realm, this panel will include Jeff Shoemate, Vice President of Innovation & Business Development, United Healthcare-Medicare & Retirement, Ilya Oshman, SVP, FP&A, Weight Watchers and Charlotte Yeh, Chief Medical Officer, AARP.

    Entrepreneurship and encore careers
    With increased longevity, and a need and desire to work, boomers are exploring encore careers in record numbers. Mary Furlong, President & CEO, Mary Furlong & Associates, and Gene Zanlo, CEO, MBO Partners, will explore the fields with the greatest growth and case studies of those who are reimagining life anew.

Often cited as worth the cost of registration alone, the ?Lunch with the Experts? is every attendee?s chance for exclusive access to the best analysts, authors, bloggers, and boomer market experts at this summit. The list of table hosts is available at http://boomersummit.com/lunch.html.

The complete list of speakers is available at http://www.boomersummit.com/speakers.html.

“The boomer, senior and caregiver markets are large and growing. The changing economy has created a shift in spending that is becoming the new normal. This conference brings together the most innovative companies and top thought leaders in marketing, innovation and distribution,? Mary Furlong, What?s Next conference producer shared. ?These markets are growing as rapidly as the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China. Join us in March to discover the important segments in the longevity economy.”

A press conference will take place on March 29 at 11:00 a.m. at the National Press Club. Speakers and sponsors will be making their new research product and service announcements.

Sponsors of What?s Next Boomer Business Summit are, at the platinum level: AARP, UnitedHealthcare and Crew Media; at the gold level: Microsoft, Linkage, Silverado Senior Living, MBO Partners, RLTV and Caring.com; at the silver level: General Mills, Google, GreatCall, Facetime Strategy, The Hartford, SilverRide, GrandCare Systems, Innovate LTC, Independa Inc., Starkey; at the bronze level: ABHOW, Hipcricket, Posit Science, MetLife Mature Market Institute, VibrantNation; refreshment break sponsor is Moving Mavens and Moving Solutions.

Registration, agenda and additional event details available at http://www.boomersummit.com. Registration costs are $ 275 at early bird rate (extended to February 21), $ 350 at the advance rate (February 22 to March 26) and $ 450 on March 27 and onsite.

What?s Next Boomer Business Summit

The ninth Annual What?s Next Boomer Business Summit is produced by Mary Furlong & Associates. What?s Next Boomer Business Summit is affiliated with the American Society on Aging (ASA) Aging in America Conference being held on March 28 to April 1, 2012 in Washington, D.C. Registration and program information is available at http://www.boomersummit.com. Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/pages/2012-Whats-Next-Boomer-Business-Summit. Twitter username is WhatsNextBoomer, and hashtag is #boomersummit. It is produced by Mary Furlong & Associates.

Mary Furlong & Associates

Founded in 2003, Mary Furlong & Associates (MFA) works with companies seeking to capitalize on new business and investment opportunities in the Baby Boomer market. MFA provides business development, financing strategy and integrated marketing solutions to entrepreneurs, corporations and non-profit organizations serving the 50+ market. Mary Furlong, Ed.D., the firm’s founder and CEO, has guided the offline and online 40+ market strategies of leading corporations and non-profit organizations for more than 20 years. In 2011, Furlong was honored as one of the top 100 Women of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Furlong is Dean’s Executive Professor of Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business, and previously founded SeniorNet and ThirdAge Media. Her latest book, Turning Silver into Gold: How to Profit in the New Boomer Marketplace (FT Press), was published in 2007. More information available at http://www.maryfurlong.com.

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Related Congress Press Releases

On Feb. 11, 2012, YF Corp. announces its nomination of Dr. Jin Zhou & ERISAclaim.com to the White House Champions of Change PPACA program for educating others about the new health care law to raise awareness about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act. YF Corp was encouraged by the White House Office of Public Engagement to nominate ?an individual or organization who is educating their community about the new health care law and helping people take advantage of the benefits from the law?. Dr. Jin Zhou & ERISAclaim.com were nominated for their painstaking and persistent daily effort and success over the past two years in educating the healthcare provider community about PPACA claims regulations with free PPACA Webinars and Certified PPACA Claim Specialists programs.

?Now, it?s up to the White House to hand out the ?PPACA Nobel Prize? envelop or not. Our intention to report and participate in this White House Champions of Change Program in itself is to raise public awareness about the benefits of PPACA, as intended by White House for 2012,? said Vincent Flores, a certified PPACA and ERISA Claim Specialist, VP of YF Corporation in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Jin Zhou has been regarded as the ?Godfather of PPACA & ERISA Claims? for providers by the healthcare provider community, for educating the healthcare industry about the new healthcare law, to take advantage of the benefits within the new healthcare law by doing compliant and effective PPACA & ERISA appeals for all improperly denied healthcare claims, and to legitimately and effectively win more healthcare coverage and access for more patients when they need the care most. Provider?s PPACA appeals are an important way to advocate for Patients? Bill of Rights, as intended by Congress, according to Mark Flores, a certified PPACA & ERISA Claim Specialist, Director of Healthcare Revenue & Consulting, YF Corporation.

According to the White House Office of Public Engagement, all nominations must be submitted by midnight on February 16th of 2012, (http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/white-house-champions-change-affordable-care-act):

?White House Champions of Change: Affordable Care Act

The White House Champions of Change program highlights the stories and examples of citizens across the country that represent President Obama?s vision of out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building the rest of the world through projects and initiatives that move their communities forward. ?? This year we are seeking recommendations of individuals and organizations that are educating others about the new health care law to raise awareness about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

Tell us about an individual or organization who is educating their community about the new health care law and helping people take advantage of the benefits from the law. Use the form below to nominate a champion to come to the White House to be honored for his/her work.

Please submit nominations by midnight on February 16th by utilizing this form.?

In order to nominate for “2012 PPACA Champion of Change”, one must describe in part:

?How has your nominee’s work helped educate people about the new healthcare law or take advantage of the benefits within the new healthcare law??

YF Corp. made its nomination for the following reasons, in part:

1.    Dr. Jin Zhou, president of ERISAclaim.com, is the only individual or organization in the nation over the past two years, to offer both healthcare providers and the general public basic and comprehensive educational webinars, articles and consulting services about PPACA claims regulations, to advocate PPACA benefits for patient rights and access to healthcare coverage for medically appropriate health care services for patients, to appeal a decision to deny payment for or access to a health care service pursuant to the reasonable appeal procedure established by a health care plan under PPACA and ERISA. (http://www.erisaclaim.com/Free_ERISA_Webnars.htm) & (http://www.erisaclaim.com/Free_ERISA_PPACA.pdf)

2.    He has taught free webinars on PPACA claims regulations to hundreds of healthcare providers and reimbursement professionals in the past two years.( http://www.hfma-nca.org/documents/Claims%20Reimbursement%20and%20Appeals.pdf) & (http://www.daytonpahcom.com/documents/Protection-AffordableAct.pdf)

3.    He has established the nation’s first Certified PPACA Claim Specialist educational program for healthcare providers, and successfully completed the first PPACA Claim Specialist educational program, in an eight-day, four module setting, for Certified PPACA Claim Specialists, for the YF Corporation in Los Angeles California in 2011. (http://www.erisaclaim.com/PR0065.htm) & (http://www.erisaclaim.com/Press_Releases.htm)

?PPACA?s ultimate success for American people?s health coverage and access to quality care will be incomplete and impossible unless and until the provider?s claims for the care are properly reimbursed. The provider?s PPACA and ERISA appeals of the denied claims for coverage are the most important steps to advocate for true coverage and access to healthcare as intended by Congress,? said Vincent Flores.

Located in Los Angeles, CA, YF Corporation is a leading multi-facet healthcare solution company with dedicated appeals specialists in billing, coding, revenue recovery services, consulting, claims review and compliance. With many physicians and ambulatory surgical centers as clients statewide, YF Corporation has been fighting for the rights of consumers and providers by appealing denials, partial denials and overpayment requests, with ERISA training from ERISAclaim.com since 2001. YF Corporation offers FREE webinars to keep you updated on new Federal Court decisions, PPACA claims regulation enforcement and how these directly affect reimbursements.

For information regarding YF Corporation: http://www.YFcorporation.com

For any questions, please contact Mark Flores, please call 323-578-8308.

CORRECTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized two DOD facilities with the Energy Star Combined Heat and Power (CHP) award for demonstrating leadership and a commitment to protecting peoples’ health and the environment while increasing energy security and reliability. By using CHP technology in conjunction with district energy, the award winners achieved reported annual energy savings of more than $ 6.8 million and avoided carbon pollution equivalent to the electricity used by more than 4,000 homes. The awards were presented at the International District Energy Association’s 25th Annual Campus Energy Conference.

?I congratulate these military bases for leading by example in the efforts to reduce pollution, improve energy efficiency, and cut energy costs,? said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA?s Office of Air and Radiation. ?These advanced CHP systems give us reliable, clean and cost cutting ways to keep our military bases powered and our environment protected.?

The CHP award was given to the following facilities:

U.S. Army, Fort Bragg, N.C.

U.S. Marine Corps, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

The two facilities achieved operating efficiencies of nearly 65 percent, much higher than the efficiency of separate production of electricity and thermal energy, which can be less than 50 percent. CHP technology simultaneously produces electricity and useful thermal energy from a single energy source, such as natural gas, biomass, or wasted energy. As the nation?s single largest energy consumer, the Department of Defense manages more than 2.2 billion square feet of space in 500,000 buildings and structures at 500 major installations around the world. Overall, the Department of Defense accounts for approximately 90 percent of the federal government?s energy use. DoD acknowledges that a strategic approach to facility energy must enhance energy security, conserve scarce budgetary resources and foster economic progress for private industry and American competitiveness.

Reliable energy supplies for its military installations are critical to our nation?s security. DoD has established three central goals for installation energy: to reduce energy use, enhance energy security and increase use of renewable energy and onsite power generation. Onsite power generation reduces military reliance upon an aging and potentially vulnerable electricity grid and increases preparedness. District energy and CHP systems support continued critical base operations in the event of electricity supply disruptions.

District energy systems, as vital energy infrastructure in most major U.S. cities and institutions, are the central focus of this week?s 25th Annual IDEA Campus Energy Conference, Innovations in Clean Energy, in Arlington, VA. The Opening Plenary Panel featured discussion on the reliability, efficiency and cost benefits of state-of-the-art district energy and CHP systems. Panelists included the Honorable Stephen Ayers, Architect of the US Capitol, who is planning installation of an 18 MW CHP facility for the Capitol Power Plant that provides district energy services to the US Capitol; Supreme Court; Library of Congress and Senate and House office buildings on Capitol Hill. The panel also included Kathleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Efficiency, EERE, U.S. Department of Energy; Sarah Dunham, Director of Atmospheric Programs at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and senior energy executives from Cornell University, Princeton University, Texas A&M University, Thermal Energy Corporation in Houston, Texas and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

An additional panel focused on Military Bases, Microgrids and Managing Sustainability featured Merrill Smith, Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability, U.S. Department of Energy; Richard Boyette, U.S. Navy NAV/FAC; John Kelly, Perfect Power Institute; Jonathan Powers, U.S. Army Energy Initiatives Task Force; Ted Borer, Princeton University; and Tim Griffin, RMF Engineering. To view the presentations from this panel, please visit IDEA?s website. http://www.districtenergy.org/25th-annual-campus-energy-conference/.

Over 630 attendees attended the 25th Annual Campus Energy Conference. For more information on district energy, CHP and IDEA, please visit http://www.districtenergy.org.

About IDEA: IDEA serves as a vital information hub for the district energy industry and combined heat and power industries, connecting industry professionals and advancing the technology around the world. With headquarters just outside of Boston, Mass., the 1,500- member IDEA was founded in 1909 and comprises district heating and cooling system executives, managers, engineers, consultants and equipment suppliers from 25 countries. IDEA supports the growth and utilization of district energy as a means to conserve fuel and increase energy efficiency to improve the global environment. For more on IDEA, go to http://www.districtenergy.org.

EPA CHP Partnership: Established in 2001, EPA?s CHP Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages the use of CHP to reduce the environmental impact of power generation. The partnership works closely with energy users, the CHP industry, state and local governments and other energy stakeholders to facilitate the development of new projects and to promote energy, environmental and economic benefits. More information about the CHP Partnership: http://www.epa.gov/chp/. More information about the CHP awards: http://epa.gov/chp/public-recognition/current_winners.html.

Contact:

International District Energy Association

24 Lyman St., Suite 230

Westborough, MA 01581

508.366.9339

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More Congress Press Releases

Electronic Merchant Systems – All business owners in the U.S. that accept credit cards recently received a new tax reporting form, the 1099K. The new IRS tax form was enacted by congress to aggressively enforce tax collection. The IRS extended the time before the penalty phase applies. Beginning in 2013 bankcard processors will be required to commence backup withholding if they have do not have a matching taxpayer identification number (TIN) for the business. The backup withholding rate is 35% and the business will not have access to the funds until after tax filing the following year. According to the IRS: ?If notified that your legal business name or TIN does not match IRS records, you must provide the bankcard processor with a form W9.? Through diligence, virtually all of Electronic Merchant Systems clients were matched with the IRS records meeting these new mandates. All of Electronic Merchant Systems clients were mailed their 1099-K on time. The contact phone number listed on the form (865) 845-9565 is incorrect. The correct contact number is (800) 901-7500.

Please contact Electronic Merchant Systems if any of the following events occur.

If the business form is changed (LLC to Inc. to sole proprietorship).

If the business has been sold.

Business name changes or received a new TIN number.

Electronic Merchant Systems remarks: ?If you are concerned that your information is not matched with IRS records or you are being charged unwarranted fees for this process please call 800 901-7500 or visit Electronic Merchant Systems.?

Electronic Merchant Systems is one of the nation?s leading credit card processing companies. Additionally the company offers very competitive rates along with superior customer service and support. Electronic Merchant Systems remains the undisputed industry leader in quality service and customer satisfaction.

Electronic Merchant Systems sets the benchmark for quality, providing first class customer service to businesses and merchants for over 20 years.

For more information contact:

Electronic Merchant Systems

http://www.elect-mer.com/

800 901-7500

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The Syrian American Council (SAC), Northern California chapter, will hold a town hall meeting and fundraising dinner to benefit the victims of the Assad regime?s brutal crackdown on protesters in Syria. The United Nations Security Council is currently holding meetings in an attempt to adopt a resolution against the Assad regime with continued opposition from Russia, which maintains a veto power. According to the Local Coordination Committees, more than 7,000 people have been reportedly killed since the beginning of the uprising eleven months ago.

The event will feature a performance by the world-renowned Syrian composer and pianist Malek Jandali. Inspired by the democratic revolutions taking place in the Arab world, Jandali composed a song entitled “Watani Ana: I am my homeland” in April 2011. Days after performing the song at a rally in Washington, DC, the home of Jandali’s elderly parents in Homs was raided by armed Syrian security officers. The officers ransacked the home and beat Jandali’s 66-year old mother and 73-year old father.

SEE: Musician: Syrian security raids family home (CNN): http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/24/world/meast/syria-jandali/index.html

Additionally, Senior Advisor on Syria to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Mr. Frederic Hof will deliver the keynote address. Other speakers will include Dr. Mahmoud Khattab, chairman of SAC, Saed Mujtahid, SAC Government Relations Committee Chair, Bassim ElKarra, Executive Director, CAIR Sacramento, Mohammed Azeez, Imam of Al-Salam Islamic Center, and Alaeddin El-Bakri Imam of Saratoga Mosque.

The funds raised at the event will provide the victims of the Assad regime?s brutality in Syria with humanitarian assistance.

WHERE:    Sacramento State University Ballroom

6000 J Street

Sacramento, CA 95819

WHEN:    Saturday, Feburary 4, 2012

5:00 ? 9:00 PM

The Syrian American Council (SAC) was founded in 2005 to mobilize Syrian Americans to strengthen civil society in Syria, to promote friendly relations between the Syrian and American peoples, to engage civic and governmental organizations to advance civil liberties, human dignity and democracy in Syria. The organization has represented Syrian Americans to the U.S. State Department, Congress, and in international meetings and councils.

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The US Treasury discussed a few months ago, possibly working with the FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) to lower the standards on it. FATCA is essentially the policy that monitors the income of overseas business to and from the United States. The act was conjured by congress in March of 2010 and its purpose was to ensure that the US tax authorities get information on financial accounts held by US taxpayers, or by foreign entities in which US taxpayers hold a substantial ownership interest, at foreign financial institutions (FFIs). Failure by an FFI to disclose information would result in an automatic 30% wage garnishment. ?New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting, Acting Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, Emily McMahon, indicated that regulations for the implementation of the provisions of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) are in the final stages of clearance at the United States Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).?

Sometimes, taxes and tax regulations can get a little complicated. With things like FATCA, it?s obvious that tax paying is not always just entering your W2 online and receiving a return. Tax resolution companies, like Ideal Tax Solution, are broadening their services to assist Americans with more complex tax issues, like those involved in foreign exchange. Working with tax resolution companies is the most quick and painless way to resolve tax issues. Businesses working with overseas income will soon have better opportunities to seek assistance with issues accrued during these transactions. FATCA aside, keep an eye out for more upcoming news on new tax resolution programs being released.

About the company: Ideal Tax Solution, LLC is located in Costa Mesa, CA and provides tax negotiation services, preparation and is a collection defense specialist. Their Tax Attorneys, IRS Enrolled Agents, CPA?s, Senior Tax Consultants have over 55 years of combined experience working to help American tax payers with the IRS and State Tax Agencies. Ideal Tax boasts an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau earned through providing excellent services.

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Opinion polling released today shows 90 percent of small business owners see the availability of credit as a problem for small business, and they strongly support increasing the lending authority of community banks and credit unions. Small business owners also support current proposals being debated in Congress that aim to boost the economy and create jobs.

Small business lending has become such an issue that 90 percent of small employers support community banks and credit unions being able to lend more to small businesses, and 82 percent support more stringent credit card regulations, such as clearer identification of terms and interest rate caps, according to the poll released by the American Sustainable Business Council, Main Street Alliance and Small Business Majority. Additionally, 61 percent say it?s harder now than it was four years ago to get a loan.

The poll also asked respondents about proposals in the president?s American Jobs Act. The vast majority, or 69 percent of small business owners support committing $ 50 billion to new and existing infrastructure projects that would generate jobs?such as making improvements to road, bridge and water systems. Another 59 percent favor creating a nationwide wireless network and improving the accessibility of high-speed wireless services. Read the Access to Credit Poll Report findings at the Small Business Majority.

?Loans that will help small businesses grow and create jobs are harder and harder to come by,? said John Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of Small Business Majority. ?With banks? lending portfolios shrinking and small businesses? dependence on credit cards growing, lawmakers need to look for smart ways to revamp the credit landscape.?

?Small businesses create 65 percent of the net new private sector jobs in America,? said David Brodwin, co-founder and board member of ASBC. ?Our deregulated, damaged banking system isn?t providing the credit they need, and they are calling for change.?

?Small business owners want action from Congress to boost the economy,? said Kelly Conklin, owner of Foley-Waite Associates in Bloomfield, New Jersey and a leader with the Main Street Alliance. ?Invest in infrastructure to build the foundation for business success. Take serious steps to deal with the mortgage crisis and restore consumer purchasing power. Put teachers and firefighters back on the job serving our communities and boosting local economies. That?s what small businesses need.?

Additional findings in the report include:

52 percent of those surveyed have turned to credit cards to finance their business
6 in 10 small business owners support making loans more accessible by reducing collateral requirements
77 percent support creating incentives for community banks to lend more
By a 2:1 margin, small businesses support increasing credit unions? lending cap from 12.25 percent to 27.5 percent
73 percent of small employers believe their business has been hurt to some degree by the drop in consumer demand resulting from the housing and mortgage crisis
57% of respondents agree reducing the principal on underwater mortgages to the current market value would boost consumer spending, helping small businesses regain their vigor through increased profits.

Poll results represent findings from an Internet survey of 500 small business owners nationwide, commissioned by the American Sustainable Business Council, Main Street Alliance and Small Business Majority and conducted by Lake Research Partners. The survey was conducted between December 8, 2011 and January 4, 2012. It has a margin of error of +/- 4.4%.

Small Business Majority is a national nonpartisan small business advocacy organization founded and run by small business owners and focused on solving the biggest problems facing America?s 28 million small businesses. We conduct extensive opinion and economic research and work with small business owners, policy experts and elected officials nationwide to bring small business voices to the public policy table. Follow Small Business Majority on Twitter or visit Small Business Majority’s Facebook page.

The American Sustainable Business Council is a network of business organizations representing over 100,000 companies and 200,000 business leaders. ASBC advocates for public policies that meet the realities of the 21st century global economy including strategic investments in workforce and infrastructure; standards and safeguards that promote innovation, prevent abuse and protect critical resources; and a new sustainable economic model that fosters a growing, economically-secure middle class.

The Main Street Alliance is a national network of state-based small business coalitions. MSA creates opportunities for small business owners to speak for themselves on issues that impact their businesses and local economies.

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More Congress Press Releases

February 2012 Georgia SoftWorks will be exhibiting the GSW SSH Server for Windows(sometimes called a SSHD for Windows) and the Telnet Server for Windows at the Modex trade show in Atlanta. With RF Devices available the booth will be full of opportunities to experience hands-on demonstrations of the many GSW products and their features. ?We will be able to demonstrate security features such as connection restrictions and digital certificate authentication,? said Doug Hitchcock of GSW, ? and we can also show our FIPS 140-2 certified solution that we developed specifically for the United States Navy.? The booth will be staffed with top level Support, Sales and Engineering staff. This kind of access to some of the industry?s most knowledgeable persons in regards to Telnet and SSH in a production environment is a great opportunity.

The Georgia SoftWorks Universal Terminal Server is the core server software foundation that provides the reliability, consistency, robustness and powerful features that has distinguished GSW Server Products. The standard protocol interface included with the GSW Universal Terminal Server is the Telnet Server for Windows providing unprecedented stability, scalability, security and connection management. The UTS SSH/Telnet server can facilitate many thousand concurrent connections from RF devices while negotiating data between the device(s) and the warehouse management system (WMS).

Georgia SoftWorks has pioneered many features for the Telnet Server and SSH Server for Windows. Team Services, a true collaboration breakthrough technology will also be demonstrated at Modex. ?Team Services allows Team Members to Share a Session, Transfer a session to another device, swap devices but keep the same session and recover a session from a failed device all in under 60 seconds.? said David Sexton of GSW, ?This technology provides solutions to everyday problems users have been living with for years. It empowers the mobile device user to share resources, all from the device. No system administrator needs to be involved.?

For those who do not use SSH or Telnet protocols in a RF data collection environment stop by and let GSW discuss and demonstrate how the UTS SSH Server Windows / Telnet server can increase production and security to existing operations. For those who already implement GSW UTS in facilities, let the staff configure and demo the many features offered within the UTS.

Established in 1991, Georgia SoftWorks is a privately held software development company recognized for creating high performance data communications, system and telecommunications applications. Georgia SoftWorks has obtained a worldwide presence with its industrial SSH Server Windows/Telnet Server for Microsoft Windows. GSW’s long-term commitment to SSH /Telnet has led to the pioneering of major features such as Session Shadowing, Session Monitoring, Graceful Termination, Automatic Logon, Logon Scripting and more recently Team Services technology which allows mobile device users to transfer, swap, share and recover mobile device sessions.

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Related Congress Press Releases

During the ALA exhibit, Ristech will showcase its two chief digital book scanning products for libraries: the Book2net Spirit, which is the first entry-level high-resolution scanner designed for fast and simple public use, and the Book2net Kiosk, which includes a high-resolution, single-shot camera that can scan up to 2,000 pages per hour and is still very gentle on books.

?We look forward to sharing the latest in book scanning technology at this first big event of 2012,? said Robb Richardson, president, Book2net, North American operations. ?We enjoy helping libraries of all sizes and locations save time and money while also enjoying the energy-efficient benefits of our book scanners and microfilm scanners.?

The ALA Midwinter Meeting at the Dallas Convention Center offers more than 200 discussion groups, 350 exhibits and additional events designed to support libraries throughout the country.

Please follow the link below to register online for a free pass to attend the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting and Exhibit. The meeting badges will be mailed to you: http://registration3.experient-inc.com/showALA121/DefaultExhGuest.aspx    


About Ristech Company

Ristech Company is a leading supplier of microfilm and book digitization technology for fragile and bound documents. Specializing in the capture and distribution of images, Ristech has an impressive list of end users and partners in the imaging market place. Our technology is used extensively in libraries, archives and research facilities where quality and careful handling of materials is a concern. Some of our clients include The Library of Congress, Library and Archives Canada, The University of Toronto, University of Laval and McGill University, to name a few. For more information, please visit http://www.ristech.ca.

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About book2net Inc.

book2net Inc. is an international alliance of manufacturers, libraries and service providers that design and produce book scanning technology. With an installed base of more than 500 clients including the Library of Congress, the British Library, National Archive of Sweden and many leading academic libraries in North America, book2net develops technology from the ground up with end users at the table. For more information, visit http://www.book2net.net.

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Bird-B-Gone?s Ornithologist, Dr. Rob Fergus, recently gave a lecture to scientists from around the globe on urban bird control at the International Congress for Conservation Biology held in Auckland, New Zealand.

The lecture was titled ?Urban bird Conservation: For Birds and People? and focused the practical aspects of urban bird conservation and education. Dr. Fergus also considered how urban bird conservation efforts could be integrated in sustainable city planning and design.

Urban settings attract birds for a variety of reasons, namely shelter and a continual food source. These birds can become a nuisance when they decide to roost or nest in areas where the buildup of bird droppings and nesting materials pose an operational, health or safety risk. Dr. Rob proposed that Ornithologists work with cities and municipalities for humane effective solutions to bird problems.

Dr. Fergus specializes in urban ecology and human/wildlife interactions. He received his Ph.D. in urban bird conservation from the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to researching and consulting on human/bird interactions in cities across the United States, Latin America, and Europe, Dr. Fergus currently teaches at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey and Rosemont College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Bird-B-Gone, Inc is the only bird control company with an on staff ornithologist. Customers contact Dr. Fergus through ?Ask the Bird Expert? to get answers about humane, effective bird control measures in a variety of settings. The addition of Dr. Fergus to the Bird-B-Gone team has helped close the gap between the science of nature, and the nature of bird control.

About: At Bird-B-Gone it?s our expertise, training and customer service that set us apart. Our high quality bird control products carry the longest industry guarantees, and are proudly made in the United States.

Visit the ?Ask the Bird Expert? today at http://www.birdbgone.com/ask-the-expert/blog or call us at 1-800-392-6915 for more information.

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