Member Spotlight: FlockTAG


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puts THE BIG in Small Business by helping local businesses know and grow their customer base. FlockTAG has created a mobile marketing and loyalty platform that helps restaurants and cafés better compete with big chains by offering a more desirable solution to attract new customers and earn more from existing patrons.

FlockTAG has uniquely combined the benefits of a high-tech universal loyalty card, plus personalized deals delivered through a mobile app, to create the first truly collaborative neighborhood network that grows local businesses. FlockTAG is a universal program that consolidates multiple loyalty programs and eliminates the need to carry an individual loyalty card for each business you frequent.
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David Lin (the owner of Bubble Island) and tech entrepreneur, Adrian Fortino, created FlockTAG in 2011 to help alleviate the sizable disadvantage that small businesses have compared to large chains.

FlockTAG is a rapidly growing Ann Arbor based start-up now operating in 6 Midwest cities and was recently featured in aForbes magazine article among other Detroit area tech startups that are helping to create an innovation center in southeastern Michigan.

FlockTAG web site

A2Y Chamber takes positions on statewide ballot proposals

Last week the Chamber announced its positions on several local ballot issues coming before voters in November. As the premiere public policy advocate for business in Washtenaw County, and a significant voice in southeast Michigan, the Chamber has also taken stances on critical ballot issues at the state level, and sent a questionnaire to specific candidates for federal, state and local office. The questionnaire looks for candidates’ views on issues that affect the business community and individual voters. Candidate responses are listed below.

Statewide Proposals

Proposal 12-1 (Prop. 1)
The A2Y Regional Chamber supports Proposal One. Passage of this proposal would reinstate the Public Act (PA) 4 of 2011, the Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act. Public Act 4, commonly known as the “Emergency Manager Law,” is not without controversy. Proponents believe PA 4 provides needed tools to aide local units of government in dire fiscal situations, while at the same time ensuring the State of Michigan can protect its credit rating. Opponents refer to it as an overreach and an abandonment of the democratic process by, in some cases, eliminating local governmental control. However, the Chamber feels the law was passed through the legislative process in both the Michigan House and Senate. It deserves a chance to be implemented and remain in place long enough to sufficiently judge its effectiveness. A yes vote on Proposal One allows for that chance.

Proposals 2-6
The A2Y Regional Chamber opposes the constitutional amendments appearing on the November 2012 ballot (Proposals 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) because it believes the broad, complex, and critical issues in these proposals are best left to be addressed by the Michigan Legislature. Although arguments can be made for the substance of each proposal, the chamber believes that to enshrine them in the constitution is too permanent a solution because it removes the ability of elected legislators to create, change test, and modify laws of such great importance. The A2Y Chamber calls for these important issues to be addressed through future legislative action.

Candidate Questionnaire Responses

In early October the Chamber sent a questionnaire to candidates for:

U.S. Senate
Pete Hoekstra
Debbie Stabenow

U.S. House of Representatives (District 7 and District 12)
John Dingell
Kurt Richard Haskell
Cynthia J. Kallgren
Tim Walberg

Michigan House of Representatives (Districts 52, 53, 54 and 55)
Gretchen Driskell
Bill Emmerich
Jeff Irwin
Mark Ouimet
David Rutledge
John Spisak
Adam Zemke

Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners (All Districts)

Joe Baublis
Felicia Brabec
John Floyd
Alicia Ping
Rob Turner

Ann Arbor City Council (All Wards)
Stuart Berry
Sally Hart Petersen
Margie Teall
Chuck Warpehoski

Ypsilanti City Council (All Wards)
Lois E. Allen Richardson

Candidates for Supervisor, Clerk and Treasurer in Ann Arbor, Pittsfield, Scio, Superior and Ypsilanti townships
William McFarlane
David Phillips

All responses

Note:
The Chamber is only publicizing responses from candidates who replied to the questionnaire. If a candidate is not listed they did not reply or did not provide sufficient information in their response.

A full listing of candidates can be accessed at the following sites:

Federal, State and County candidates

Local candidates

A2Y Chamber takes positions on local ballot measures

The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti (A2Y) Regional Chamber seeks to be the premiere public policy organization to advocate for business in Washtenaw County and a significant voice in southeast Michigan. To this end the Chamber has taken positions on some of the critical ballot issues at the local and statewide levels. The A2Y Chamber will also publicize responses to a questionnaire it sent to candidates for federal, state and local office. The Chamber’s positions on the local ballot questions are listed below. Positions on statewide ballot issues and the responses to our candidate questionnaire will be released on Monday, October 29, 2012.

 

Local Proposals

Ann Arbor Proposal B- Ann Arbor City Charter Amendment Tax for Art in Public Places
The A2Y Chamber takes no position on Ann Arbor Proposal B. While there are arguments both in favor of and againstthe current process to publicly fund art, the question of process continues to be a difficult one. With that in mind, the A2Y Chamber appreciates the proponents of Proposal B for having the foresight to bring this question before the voters for a direct vote. This proposal’s fate at the ballot box will give policy makers a clearer picture of the citizens’ desire to specifically fund public art. The Chamber appreciates this major opportunity for direct citizen input.

Ann Arbor District Library Proposal- Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Building Proposal
The A2Y Chamber endorses the Ann Arbor District Library’s millage proposal appearing on the November 2012 ballot.  While we recognize there may be concerns regarding the timing and magnitude of the proposal, we believe that the Library has made a reasonable and valid case for its proposal. For instance, while building on the current site creates a number of issues, due to the unique legal restrictions on that property vis-à-vis the school district, relocating the main library is not feasible. Further, the building is antiquated and not conducive to providing the types of services and resources demanded of a library in the 21st Century and particularly in our community which has proven a need and desire for a main branch providing modern services.  Refitting the current building would entail considerable costs and not provide long-term solutions. In addition, and at least as significantly as the other reasons, the Library Board has proven itself to be a responsible steward of the public’s money.  They have built first class branches without incurring debt, and for many years have voluntarily chosen to levy less than the full amount of taxes which it could otherwise levy.  And finally, having a modern downtown main library reinforces our community’s image and commitment to this resource, and the plans for the new facility will be a destination for many and an asset to the overall business and community climate.


Willow Run Community Schools (WRCS) and Ypsilanti Public Schools (YPS)

(Note: There are two identical ballot proposals coming before voters in the WRCS and YPS jurisdictions.)

Proposal-School District Consolidation Proposal
Earlier this year, the A2Y Chamber came out in support of the consolidation of WRCS and YPS. We reiterate our support and endorse this proposal citing our previous statement’s case for the merger.

Operating Millage Proposal
The A2Y Chamber supports this companion proposal to the School District Consolidation Proposal.  The chamber believes the failure of this proposal would be severely detrimental to the newly created entity (resulting from the WRCS-YPS merger). The operating millage is not a tax increase, but simply keeps in place the existing operating millage that is already levied in each district. If this proposal fails, the consolidation (if passed by voters) would still move forward and this proposal would need to be placed on the February 2013 ballot since the State of Michigan expects each district to levy the 18 mills on non-homestead parcels. Failure to approve the millage will result in an $8.9 million (estimated) shortfall in revenue which will further exacerbate the financial challenges of the new district and make it highly unlikely that the new school district could survive given that it will already be facing a roughly $11.6 million deficit. Failure to approve this millage proposal has the potential for the imposition of an emergency manager being appointed to run the district. For these reasons, the Chamber believes that the passage of this operating millage is essential for the success of the newly created entity and for the educational prospects of the children it will serve.