A Message from Chamber President Dan Schroeder:
Didn't We Just Have an Election?

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AUGUST 2004 - If you listen carefully you can hear the engines of our political system revving up for yet another election this fall. It seems like just yesterday when we were all trying to figure out how to vote on candidates and the miramid of initiatives and propositions placed before the voters for the March 2004 Primary. And just when we seem to have returned to finding only the regular assortment of bills and retail advertisements in our mailboxes, soon that will all change and we will find them once again stuffed with all types of political mailings.

To help sort through the issues, this fall the Chamber's Port O Call will once again provide some guidance to our members by analyzing those initiatives and propositions that will be on the ballot in November 2004, that directly effect the business community. The process that the Chamber of Commerce follows in analyzing these issues involves the process of reviewing the language of the proposed legislation, gathering of information from other sources including advocates on both sides of an issue, and discussion by the Chamber's Board of Directors. We do not "shoot from the hip" simply because something sounds either good or bad for business. The Government Relations Council ("GRC") is the Chamber committee that undertakes this detailed analysis of all the proposed ballot legislation and determines (1) whether the legislation has significant impact on the business community and, if it does, (2) what, if any, recommendation the Chamber should make to its members voting on legislation and (3) why the Chamber is making the recommendation. The GRC then makes a recommendation to the Board of Directors on what position, if any, the Chamber should recommend to its members.

The GRC has already begun the involved process of reviewing the statewide propositions and will be continuing to gather information and discuss those propositions, together with local initiatives. The GRC has its work cut out for it this year due to the large number of propositions and local initiatives that will be appearing on the November ballot. So be on the lookout for the October issue of the Port O Call this fall so you know the Chamber's recommendations before you head into the poles on November 2, 2004.

In addition to the propositions and initiatives, there will be a whole host of candidates running for several offices locally, statewide and nationally on the November Ballot. If you're wondering whether the Chamber will also be analyzing the candidates and making recommendations on who to vote for, the answer is no. Several years ago the Chamber determined that decisions on which candidate to vote for should be left up to each member. The Chamber encourages its members to look at the positions of the candidates, including how incumbents voted, on issues effecting the business community as part of their decision on who they should vote for.

While it may seem like we just had the March Primary, the November 2004 election will be here before you know it. My how time flies...