www.sdchamber.org

Public Policy Update

By Scott Alevy, Vice President of Public Policy & Communications

Every year at this time we seem to say the same thing; the Chamber will face a veritable plethora of public policy issues, and we will try to focus on a handful of them.  This year is no exception...but we also have three election cycles thrown in for extra measure.

Three Elections. No Waiting

Some of you have already begun screening your voice mail to avoid campaign donation requests and checking your mail box for the latest round of campaign brochures.  Others will find it a great way to learn more about the issues and candidates on the ballots.  There will be plenty of both, to be sure, as we will face a Presidential Primary election plus several statewide propositions on February 5, our regular Primary election on June 3, and a General election in November.

With statewide propositions on Indian gaming compacts, transportation, community college funding and term limits for the state legislature joining the partisan races for the Presidential nomination, the first election will have the attention of the entire nation.  By the end of Election Day, a dozen states will have stated their cases for the nomination and much of the suspense will be over.  It will leave the traditional June Primary cycle largely for those seeking state and local offices.

The local primary races for Mayor, City Attorney and half of the termed-out city council in San Diego will occupy much of our time and interest and dictate much of how the city will look at business issues in the coming years.  Each has a level of importance, though the City Attorney race could be the most important incumbent race in decades.

Races for the state legislature will be mostly pre-destined, mid-term partisan races, with only two local Assembly seats “up for grabs” due to term limits (assuming the voters, as expected, reject the term limits change power grab in February’s election proposed by certain party leaders in Sacramento).

Another Busy Policy Year at the Chamber

Stay tuned to future issues of Business Online as the year rolls on for updates and explanations of the Chamber’s positions on dozens of legislative bills and a number of key issues we will be facing in the next eleven months.  While there is no predicting the federal and state bills on which we will weigh our advocacy, we have identified a half dozen key issues that will be the focus of our attention.  They include:

• Statewide healthcare reform: We have weighed in on this issue, and have been included in the small group from which Governor Schwarzenegger receives regular counsel.  His relationship to your Chamber is vital, and we are currently discussing the merits of the proposed Assembly Bill AB1X.
• Water issues: The scarcity of water is an issue we all need to face. The Chamber will be a part of the regional dialogue on the delivery, storage, availability and cost of water in the coming months.
• Infrastructure funding: we continue to take the institutional lead with state and federal transportation agencies on which projects are to be planned, funded and approved, especially at the international border.
• Small business issues: Taxation, Worker’s compensation, Healthcare, ADA and lawsuit abuse issues will continue to impact small businesses, and the Chamber will play an active role.
• Disaster preparedness: On the heels of the October wildfires, we have taken the lead on ensuring that all businesses have a disaster preparedness plan available.
• Airport/Embarcadero Master Planning: From the Navy’s Broadway Complex to the master planning of Lindbergh Field, your Chamber is playing a key role,.

We take our role as the leading advocate for the region’s business community seriously.  The Chamber has the attention of our elected officials, the media, and our membership - it is one of the key benefits of your membership in the largest business organization in the region.