www.sdchamber.org

Public Policy Update

By Scott Alevy, Vice President of Public Policy and Communications

I promise this won’t be just another trite November “Let’s Give Thanks” column. 

Sure, there’s plenty of bad news.  It’s in the newspaper and on the air every day, and doesn’t need to be listed here.  The fact is, there is also plenty of good news to write about and truly plenty for which we should be thankful.

We’ve played a role in enhanced funding to cure some of the ills of moving cars and truckloads of manufactured goods around the county on our freeways.  Those improvements lie on the horizon, with more to come.  Why?  Because we have been a part of a coalesced team effort that has stretched from local hearings to Sacramento and Washington, D.C.

We’ve also addressed the very vital infrastructure dilemmas at our international border, and are part of a vibrant and effective team that has secured commitments at the highest levels to solve the problems.

We have ensured that the collective voice of San Diego business is heard at City Hall, in Sacramento, and on Capitol Hill.  Locally, we have played a key role in the City of San Diego’s Charter Review and General Plan processes, helping to bring out-of-date documents into chronological and logical compliance.   We thank Mayor Jerry Sanders for his foresight and human nature, and the civilian members of the task forces that spent many long and arduous hours going through the elements.  And we are thankful for the wisdom and style of Scott Peters, who has managed to get a disparate city council through countless public meetings with class and dignity.

We have played a proactive and influential role in the ongoing discussions about Healthcare Reform, and will remain vigilant until there is an answer that doesn’t lay the onus in the laps of employers.  We thank Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, his advisors including Herb Schultz and others, for their commitment to finding a solution that aids all Californians with a shared responsibility, as well as our local delegation for playing key roles in testy budget and legislative negotiations, and the hard-working Chamber Healthcare Task Force that has kept our membership in the mix.

We will be back in Washington in several months, following up on the discussions we held in October, and ensuring the blueprint we laid out in the Fall of 2007 becomes a road map for progress in the years to come.  We will take a delegation back later in 2008, addressing those and additional issues that are keys to our future.

How do we achieve these successes? By working closely with elected officials and civic leaders who are truly dedicated to the best interests of our community.  There are quite a few who really do care about things besides “good press” and fund raising for their next election campaign.  And I can honestly say that I give thanks for their service.

During our mission to DC, Congressman Brian Bilbray not only briefed us on key issues facing Congress, but took the delegation on a unique “after dark” insiders tour of the Capitol building, affording an opportunity to sit in the House and Senate chambers and other “non-public” places.  Bob Filner, who has significantly stepped up his involvement with this Chamber, set up (and participated in) a meeting with House Transportation & Infrastructure Chair James Oberstar in the committee’s hearing room…one of the key discussions of the trip.  And Susan Davis hosted the delegation in her own home on the Hill, providing us with her insights and providing hospitality and a touch of home.

We are truly thankful for the kind of commitment we continue to get from these friends of the Chamber, and from both sides of the aisle.  We are also thankful for the time spent with us by Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and the efforts they and their staffs have made on our behalf all year long.

We truly do have much for which we should be thankful.