President of the Smalltown Chamber of Commerce: In the past decade, the businesses in Smalltown have reported average profits of 15% above inflation. The mayor of Smalltown has explained this by citing decreased crime and a growing population, but he is incorrect. In reality, this increase in profitability is not due to these factors, but rather to the sharing of business acumen and market research that occurs at the monthly Chamber of Commerce meetings.

Which of the following, if true, best supports the President of the Smalltown Chamber of Commerce's attribution of the increased profits to her organization's meetings?

A:Crime has decreased throughout the state, and the businesses in other towns with similar populations have seen similar profits in the past ten years.

B:The growth of Smalltown's population has primarily been due to a higher birth rate, which has traditionally been associated with a drop in crime.

C:Members of Smalltown's Chamber of Commerce cite the friendliness and helpfulness of the group as one of their main reasons for attending meetings.

D:The effects of taxes on local businesses may not be immediately apparent in all cases, particularly when populations are fluctuating.

E:Businesses in Smalltown whose members did not attend these monthly meetings regularly saw their profits increase only 2% above inflation.