www.sdchamber.org

President's Update
By Ruben Barrales, President & Chief Executive Officer

In January, I traveled to Washington, D.C. for discussions on Federal plans to stimulate the economy.   I had the opportunity to visit the White House and the Capitol to review the economic stimulus proposal for the San Diego region, and I was able to share our priorities with members of our Congressional delegation, including Bob Filner, Darrell Issa, Susan Davis, Brian Bilbray and Duncan Hunter.

There continues to be much debate on a final stimulus package, but the legislation likely to be approved by Congress and the new Obama Administration will include individual and business tax credits, grants to the states and competitive federal grants.  Thanks to the work of the Chamber, SANDAG, EDC, Caltrans, the City of San Diego, the San Diego County Water Authority and many others, San Diego is well positioned to compete for some of the proposed infrastructure funds.  

Over the past three months, we have identified important transportation and water infrastructure improvements for San Diego.  A successful regional effort could mean projects that reduce traffic congestion on our freeways, create up to 96,000 jobs in San Diego County and generate approximately $7 billion in economic activity for our region.  

Economic stimulus is vital to revitalizing our region’s economy, and finding a plan that will aid businesses is a priority.  Please let me know if you would like to review the proposal for economic stimulus projects in our region.  Also, I encourage you to contact me with ideas, suggestions or comments about the proposed stimulus plan at president@sdchamber.org.

Chamber President and CEO Ruben Barrales and Congressman Bob Filner in Washington, D.C.