mary is president and ceo of sister cities international. she directed special prorojects fofor the u.s. chber of commerce but you probably recognize her asas maryland's forr secretary of state and as the runninmate for governor are like. thank you for joining us. yoyou are the first official power couple sitng side-by-s-side. i wawant to talk about the economomy. a great window into how the economy is doing. offices are not moving. what is the outlook for maryland? >> we have had a great year in 2011, but it is been very governmement-driven. the commercial mket is a very flat.. most of the tenenants -- reduction in space, stayaying in spaceut they are now growing.

> let's talk about some of the things you heard from businesses around thetate.. walker y think are the bibiggest concerns? >> regulation. regulation and taxes. there are so many small businesses that are leavining now because of the government inteention and the regulations, unemployment insurance. so many thihings that small busisses n need titime to run their business not to be doing paperwork. >> do you still think you may go back into politics someme dayo address those issues? >> i have a a great j but i am working on economic developmpment. >>m always amazed a at peleop like both of you who could say i have done it and i have three kids so maybe i will take t this year off. you are the ceo of sister cities international. >> i amm so excited.

one of the best jobs was secretarof ste for maryld. give usome examples for people who don -- who do not know. >> maryland became aister state wiwith libereria. we also had one with a province in china that i was able to go over and d visit t with friends. that was like a 30-year relationship. >> what doeses that do? what opportunities does that offer to localal businesses >> maryland is vergood about -- they opened an office in china, an incator where businesses could go over and see if a partnership would work in china. one of the b best case scenarios is an architectural company that

went over -- >> they have more contacts with china nothan they do it in the u.s. >> they designed the birds' nestst. that fantastic swimming bobblele if people d do not know withit. >> ihink i in the rulatory platform, there is a lot of redundancy between different agencieses. they did not have to have so many of t the outside consttituencies that theyey are be holding -- >> if f the economy is doing well, the regulations do not matter. >> revenue hides a l of sins. once revenue has dropped off and dollars getet restricte to where they can go to, it becomes more difficult it t there to open a

business or grow a business. >> a lot of comompetition but i in maryland virginia, and d.c. why did youecide to stay in maryland? >> i will not answer that becae of -- >> why not move toov. mcdonnell's state? >> we have beenn inviteded but we have a large number of employees who have lived and have grown up in baltimo county howard county, frederick county. i would rather fifix where we are. let's fix maryland to getet maryland more competitive with virginia and help d.c. be as competitive. i think the region stands to be stronger. >> whats it t that maryland does better? >> in terms o of business opportunity -- it is my state

and onone of t the reasons why iran. -- w hy i r ran. ifou do not have businesses headquartered, that generates so much the economy in local dry cleaners or the theaters -- >> b but you are seein a buildup of stimulus funds and also tech funds to helphem with capital. >> this ppened all over the country. they took the stimulus money and they hired police officers, teachers, and firemen and now they a are laying ththem off. it was a failed policy. government should be able to providetimulus but i in a right way. it did not work. >> wildld mary was running for lieueutenant governor, you came under scrutiny from the washington post, saying that

yourompany was under investigation for underpaying workers as a part of fedederal contracts that you obtained. tell us what happened. >> it is been going on for five years. they probably did aozen expos es. >> peoe sa it was a legitimate locke. >> anybody should be able to look at anybody's cost in a government environment. whenhe allegationsns are proven to be true or false, i think we are gogoing to be indicated. i don't think it ian environmen that keepeps its employeeees. this has been going on for five years. >> do you t think is politically motited? >> i think there are polititics at

the bottom of everything. >> we will wait to see where that investigation leads. you are also getng scrutiny because he statarted nonprofit fund f for bananks. tell us ababout it. >> wewe found t companies are staying in place and reducing their size. at we found is we were being asked or paid to take a good ality furniture to landfills. >> just throw it away? >> yes because they did not have a need for it any longer we take it,t, put it in our warehoe, and on the second saturday of the month we allow non-profits to come in and pick what theyy want. >> it is a gat thingng and we are going to put a l link on our

facebook page. >> i was the first b beneficiary. >> we appreciate yr perspective on all things maryland and the washingn region. up next, home is where you hang your hat and use your wawallet. we will have [ baby coughing ]

[ coughing continues ] [ female announcer ] more pollution from power plants means more childhood asthma attacks. [ labored breathing ] there's tecology that makes the air cleaner but too many plants don't use it. we can't wait. epa must update power plant standards to protect our kids. [ baby coughing ] >> welme back. have you seen the stories in the last few weeksncouraging you to snd your holiday shopping mondayt a small independent locabusiness? this wee's small business spotlight is onn think local

rst d.c. where you spend your money matts to the community. here with more istacey price and jackie fnagan, the owernner of nana. stacey start with you. this has become a message that many have been p pushing. what is the message behind this movemement? >> the message behind the movevement is toto encourage people to think local first. ifhey put us first in mind, that is most important. >> so the message has been branding especially on saturdays to get out there. how do you encourage people to think seven days a week?? >> for the hololiday season, we launched a campaign. we are always trying to educate

the consumer on wh it means to shop lococal. we he an amazizing businesses in d.c. -- >> jackie, guilty as charged. every thanksgiving, i work and i cover those early shoppers. every time, by some of those deals. how do you compete with thbig x stores that can offer the dooror buster deals? >> i will give you saturday. we encouragege you t to think of the other places that are in your own neighborhood. >> whatt is yo sto like? how is it different? >> nana is a small women's clothing store andnd we are inspired by- we like to focus on more independent designers.. although you can get a lot of great things at target, at a smalleler local neighborhood shop

yoare gogoing to find a better selection and -- >> tell me what more mmindfully made means. >> i think when you buy from a a small local business, you are cutting down that chain of the person who is acally making the product. some of the closing that we sell is handsewn by t the designer. that is something thayou are not going to find at a bigger box store. >> how is youour organization born? are you part of e district government? >> we are a standalone nonprofi with 250 businesses in our pocket here in d.c. and are growing on a daily basis. >> give us some exples of the sectors that are a part of it. >> restaurant retail, svices.

youan think local first o on basically any service that you are trying to spend your money. >> are you s seeing people come to your store because they are driven to buy local? >> more so every year which is ry encouraging. it helps your own local communitwhen you do. it is nice to finally start hearing that back from customers. >> so far in the holiday season, a better outlook than last year? >> it is hopeful. >> ladies, thank you so much for joining us. we will be back with our roundtabl. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] from

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>> it has been quite a week in business news and it is goining to impact your wallet. ovover o on capitol hill, they are trying to pdict the impact of dget cuts trte by e super committee's failure. over at thee national rbor theyre trying to decide how to fill a disneney-size hole in their plan. we have jonanathan a allen from "polico" and missy fderick from t the "washington busines journal." thank u both for joining us. we are not going tma sense of what is going on in capitol hill with the e time that we have.

explain what happened at the national harbor. disney bought $11 million of the property and pulled out. >> in 2009, it was a big announcement. it was going to be a 500-room hotel with an entertainment component. >> the hotels were already there. >> i think that is definitely true.. that happened in 2009. another six months, and disney clammed up about the project. this week we finally got the bad news. no going to happen. they are t trying to sell the land back to the developer. >> w what happened? >> disney said the timingng was not good. disney also haa lot of other projecects. it has i its hands and a lot of other pots. this is a tourism p property.

even in d.c. where the economy is still p pretty good that hotel would have to draw visitors from all over the country.. >> i am always amazed when i go out to national harr. the thing g has risen up from nowhere and now it is chock full ofof restaurants and stores and hotels. how is the national hararbor doining? >> beyond the disney project, theree was a lot of life a and excitement happening at national harbor. they are breaking groundnd onn a 10 millionroject. they have a big office building project as well. there are defefinitely a lot of things goingn. >> every year i 8 take my kids to visit. that is a rft seg to jonath allen he get to play with other

children at all weeklong -- congress. i have been losing phasese and i was one of those who had faith in congrs and i have bn losing it slowly and steadily. what is going on over there?e? >> i think the payll tax cut will be extended. right now, there is an argument going on betweenemocrats and republicans. decrats would like to pay for that by taxinghe millionaires and republicans alike to pay for it by a freeze government workers whether it be government befit -- >>emocrats would need 60 votes in thehe senate to get it passed. they need those so-called superer votes to get it through. >> again, think this is something that is going to happen. i think repubcans realize that this is an issue that the presidenent has a big stick on.

>> so how is itt going to pass? give us the paramers will pay cave of the millionaires' tax? >> it is unclear. they will cave at some point in terms of picy.y. before the were a littlbitt momore milabout that, a little bit more ambivalent. think y will see it done maybe not before christmas. i think the second that workers see theieir paycheck go down, there wi be immense pressure on capitol hill to move quickly. >> we saw t super committ failed i in itits effoso avert the cuts. what is the latest on that? whe are the talks standing right nonow? >> certaiainly there is an effort

on the part o house majorit leadader e eric cantor who has been working with senators both sides of t the aisle to try to come up with a plan that would allow part o that trigger which is halalf of .20 triion to be reduced. those cuts are set to go into effect in 2013. >> the business community needs to know. itoes not helphe business contractors to roll back those cuts ifhey cannot plan on ether or n they are gng to have a contract. >> ipoke to the washington board of trade and earlier this week you should plan for these plans to go into effect. >> a a sobering message. >> it is i it possible there will be some changes in the wayhat it works? sure. given all o of the power in the

world to make thehese changes they could not make those changes. what does it take for them -- >> i'd like e the way you'd still use the word "normal." >> it is hard toto get anything done in congress. these guys had all the power to do it. clearly, -- i do t think that is a smartay to look at itit. if there are changes look at that as a bonus as an unexpected windfall. i would plan for those cu to go into effect as planned in 2013. >> good to know. thank you both for joining us. our number of the week, 646, is something you are going to need to kno [ male announcer ] without the internet, facebook would be faceless, amazon would just be a river in south america, and yahoo! would be... [ man ] yahoo! [ male announcer ] ...well you know. but thanks to broadband network companies, the internet's alive and kicking.

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our number o of the week, $646 is the amount of money the avererage shopper expects to spend this year for holiday y gifts. this year's shopping budget has jumped from 2010. 42% of us plan to make purchases om catalogs and o other direct marketers. ifif you are like me, you buy all of your gifts from the inteternet. think you for joining us.

we will see you next sunday. [ baby coughing ] [ coughing continues ] [ female announcer ] more pollution from power plants means more childhood asthma attacks. [ labored breathing ] there's technology that makes the air cleaner but too many plants don't use it. we can't wait. epa must update power plant standards to protect our kids. [ baby coughing ] [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices... in more ways than ever. and our networks are getting crowded. but if congress frees up more wireless spectrum... we can empower more people to innovate... putting momentum behind our economy. and we can reduce the deficit...

with more than thirty billion dollars paid by arica's wireless companies. it's simple -- more spectrum means more freedom. for everyone. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ multiple sounds making melodic tune ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] at northrop grumman, every innovation every solution comes together for a single purpose -- to make the world a safer place. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. o0

this week -- the gingrich surge. >> while i was hoping for a wave, we hit a tsunami. just last night, "the des moines register" poll shows that newt is number one. but can he stay there? curtains for cain. >> i am at peace with my wife. and she is at peace with me. >> defiant but defeated. the pizza mogul calls it quits. so is rick san