
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland business leaders from a cross-section of industries say the uncertainty alone about the "fiscal cliff" in Washington could have an effect on consumer behavior.
The state's Board of Revenue Estimates held a meeting on Thursday to hear from business leaders about how they view economic conditions in the state.
They often referred to the Jan. 1 deadline in Washington, when tax breaks are set to expire and big automatic spending cuts are triggered.
Pat Donoho, president of the Maryland Retailers Association, says it's not even necessarily a matter of whether the nation goes over the cliff, but how close lawmakers come to it.
He says that's because lingering uncertainty could have a big impact on consumers' behavior.
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