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MONDAY MEMO Dead Sea Scrolls Now at the Natural History Museum Greater San Diego Business Development Council 2007 Awards Ceremony, VIP Reception Feast & Benefit Jazz Concert Museum of San Diego History Celebrate the opening of Place of Promise: Stories of San Diego |
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UPCOMING EVENTS 7/14 Flag, General & Senior Officers Ball 7/19 Business After Five 7/25 Get Connected Breakfast 9/30 - 10/3 Washington DC Delegation Host a Chamber Mixer or Reception. Click here for details. |
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CHAMBER CONNECTION Benefits of Chamber Membership Improving the Bottom Line Office Depot Print on Demand Export-Import Bank Helps local businesses enhance International trade |
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FEATURED MEMBERS bbalanced Look better, feel better, be better The Ivy Hotel Gaslamp's newest boutique hotel The University Club Private business and social dining club |
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For most of us, summertime in San Diego means going to the beach, enjoying outdoor concerts, and sampling junk food at the Del Mar Fair. For the kids, it's a vacation from school and a respite from homework. At the Chamber, summer means the legislative season is reaching its apex, and it's time to plan our strategy for the next round of advocacy, from City Hall to the marble hallways of Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Our advocacy is focused on local concerns that are making an indelible mark on the region, and legislation that has a direct impact on the overall regulatory environment that shapes how we do business. A task force of Chamber members and stakeholders has held a series of meetings since November 2006 reviewing the various elements of the City of San Diego's General Plan Update. The elements include economic prosperity, mobility, land use, public facilities, conservation, recreation, noise, urban design and historic preservation. Our agenda also includes keeping a close eye on the SDSU master planning process, Working Waterfront and co-location issues, and the proposal for a citywide Tourism Marketing District. Meanwhile, the board of directors has also taken a unanimous position in support of the expansion of the Salk Institute. Read the rest of the story. Since the beginning of January, roughly 3,000 legislative bills have been introduced for the 2007-2008 legislative session, making it impossible for business owners to monitor while they focus on running their companies. However, it's the Chamber's job to keep on eye on important legislative issues for its members. Each year, the Chamber's Public Policy committees identify a "watch list" of legislation impacting business, analyze bills and then forward their recommendations to the Chamber board. Since the start of the Legislative session, the Chamber has taken positions on a variety of state and federal pieces of legislation in the areas of taxation, health, energy, education, infrastructure, tech/biotech, climate change, and frivolous lawsuits. Some of the bills the Chamber has supported include AB 751, which calls for income and corporation tax credits for research and development; AB 1481, which deals with waste discharge requirements for recycled water for landscape irrigation uses; and SB 286, which allows transportation bonds. Some of the bills this year that the Chamber has opposed include HR 4, Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007; and HR 1542, The Healthy Families Act of 2007. We submit our recommendations to the appropriate legislators, closely monitor their votes on these bills and hold them accountable. By promoting business-friendly positions and strongly opposing "bad" business bills, your Chamber ensures that business in San Diego remains competitive. Your Chamber will continue to work with our legislative delegation to minimize the impact of legislation that negatively affects your business. If you are concerned about a specific type of legislation, please contact avillagrana@sdchamber.org. Below is a listing of legislation that the Chamber has taken action on: SUPPORT AB 751(Lieu and Walters) - Income and corporation tax credits: research and development AB 1064 (Lieber) - Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) AB 1179 (Garrick) - Minimum annual tax: exemptions: corporations, LLC. AB 1481 (De La Torre) - Waste discharge requirements: recycled water: landscape irrigation uses AB 1505 (Parra) - Joinder: representative actions SB 13 (Wyland) - School facilities funding process: Career Technical Education SB 51 (Ducheny) - San Diego Health Care Connection Demonstration Project SB 148 (Hollingsworth) - Property taxation: exemption: fruit-bearing and nut-bearing trees: freeze relief SB 149 (Hollingsworth) - Income taxes: credits: freeze relief SB 211 (Cox) - Seismic safety: application filing fee SB 286 (Lowenthal) - Transportation Bonds – Implementation SB 303 (Ducheny) - Local government: land use planning SB 306 (Ducheny) - Health facilities: seismic safety SB 314 (Wyland) - Career technical education: advisory committee SB 322 (Ducheny) - Math & Science Teacher Preparation Pilot SB 947 (Hollingsworth) - California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): Caltrans: Rights of Way SB 1050 (Committee on Nat. Resources & Water) - Water meters SUPPORT, if amended SB 10 (Kehoe) - Airport land use commissions: San Diego County Regional Airport Authority SB 59 (Cogdill) - Reliable Water Supply Bond Act of 2008 SB 747 (Corbett) - Persons with disabilities OPPOSE: AB 13 (Brownley/Leno) - Hospitals: staffing AB 512 (Lieber) - Contracts AB 1337 (Nava) - State Highway System: Construction Inspection Function SB 412 (Simitian) - State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission: natural gas SB 771 (Kuehl) - Stem Cell Research Standards: Licensing Revenues SB 840 (Kuehl) - Single-payer health care coverage HR 4 (Dingell) - Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007 HR 1542 (DeLauro) -The Healthy Families Act of 2007 OPPOSE, unless amended AB 224 (Wolk) - Water supply planning/climate change SB 201 (Florez) - Agriculture: leafy green vegetable crop safety PUBLIC POLICY SECOND QUARTER 2007 General Plan Update and Land Use A task force of Chamber members, including representatives from a cross-section of industries, has held a series of meetings since November 2006 reviewing the various elements of the General Plan Update. The task force will finalize its recommendations for a position to the Chamber's committee structure and Board of Directors at their July monthly meeting. The elements include economic prosperity, mobility, land use, public facilities, conservation, recreation, noise, urban design and historic preservation. The Chamber's process has looked at the implications these citywide policies have on business, and their impacts on the future planning of the city. We will also be monitoring the SDSU and Salk Institute master planning processes, Working Waterfront and co-location issues and the proposal for a citywide Tourism Marketing District. Big Box Ordinance The Chamber believes in the free enterprise system, and that businesses should be driven by the marketplace and not partisan municipal edicts. Focusing on any one entity in an industry, such as retail, is not good government. We anticipate that the Big Box ordinance will be vetted publicly as a ballot initiative that will be costly and disruptive to the city. Charter Review The Chamber's Charter Review Task Force opined, from a business perspective, what charter elements should be addressed as part of the review of the "Strong Mayor" form of governance. These include clarifying lines of authority between the Mayor, City Council and City Attorney and potential re-sizing of the city council. Living Wage Ordinance With the final implementation of the Living Wage ordinance scheduled for July 1, the Chamber's position is unchanged. We strongly believe that the ordinance is out of line and will hurt business. We are calling for the Mayor to form a citizen's advisory committee, as called for in the original ordinance, to make specific recommendations to the Mayor and City Council on a number of unresolved issues. They should conduct an assessment of the myriad arbitrary points in the ordinance, a reflection on its financial viability and impact on the competitive marketplace, and a clear delineation of which businesses and locations will be included in the ordinance. Education The Chamber has re-activated its Education Committee and is focused on career technical education in the region, which has the potential to serve the 60% of the graduating high school students in the county who do not attend college. We will assess current programs and opportunities for expansion and partnerships to more effectively meet the workforce needs of local employers. Housing The Chamber has been vocal in its support for the Affordable Housing Density Bonus Amendment and will ask the Council to approve the ordinance as it moves forward with a planned "Housing Day." Affordable and market rate housing needs continue to be a priority for the Chamber. KEY STATE & FEDERAL ISSUES State and Federal Legislation The Chamber's Public Policy team and committee system has been monitoring nearly 100 bills in Congress and the California State Legislature throughout this legislative session. We have been focused on the impact the bills may have on small and major businesses. We have focused on bills with a "business nexus" and taken formal positions on bills dealing with health care, energy, water, workers compensation, infrastructure funding, transportation, technology and career technical education. Healthcare The Chamber's Health Care Initiative Task Force is examining the Governor's Health Care proposal, as well as those put forward by state legislators Kuehl, Nuñez and Perata and the GOP caucus. The Chamber will also feature a discussion by some of the key players at a major business event this summer. The Chamber has weighed in on a number of the key issues and will continue to present those findings to the San Diego state delegation. Airport Governance The Chamber's public policy committees has been monitoring Sen. Christine Kehoe's SB10, a bill that addresses governance of the Regional Airport Authority and its future land use planning. As with other bills in the legislature, it was reviewed by our Government Interface Committee and vetted in committees, and a qualified position of support (with amendments) has been taken. The Chamber has opined that the governing board should be compensated at a lower rate, utilize a non-weighted vote and serve under a chair appointed by the board itself. The Chamber further supports formal land use input from SANDAG and implementation in 2008. Energy The Chamber firmly supports in-basin energy generation and regional self-reliance. We are on record in support of the Sunrise power link application before the CPUC and are following its progress. We are also monitoring SDG&E's application for Alternative Metering and support their pilot program. Small Business Advocacy The Chamber is strongly supporting ADA lawsuit abuse reform legislation at the state and federal level and is focused on improving the business climate for small businesses. Nearly ninety percent of the Chamber's member businesses have less than 100 employees, and 54% have less than 20. Pay Day Lending The Chamber is a strong supporter of AB 7, which is co-sponsored by Assembly member Lori Saldana. It would eliminate predatory lending practices by financial institutions that take advantage of military personnel and dependents and residents of economically depressed neighborhoods. Specifically, the bill would cap any loans at 38% APR, including closing and late fees; some currently charge in excess of 400%. Transportation Infrastructure Funding The Chamber was actively engaged in the process to secure additional Prop 1B Transportation Infrastructure/Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA) funds for the San Diego region. We will continue our quest for mobility and goods movement funding in Sacramento and Washington DC this year, as well as border infrastructure improvements, including a third border crossing at Otay Mesa. Immigration A Chamber task force worked for six months to develop a broad philosophy on the impact of immigration issues on businesses in San Diego. The Chamber's resulting Statement of Principles include the development and implementation of a tamper-proof, user-friendly method of verifying workers' status, providing enough non-immigrant visas for workers of all skill levels to ensure that business can meets its labor demand, and a system that is less cumbersome for business to follow. |
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 Chamber Chairman Robert HorsmanWinners: Congratulations to the winners of the 2007 San Diego Small Business Awards. The North Island Credit Union " Excellence in the Work Environment Award' JGD & Associates Outstanding Emerging Business of the Year Small Business Award ESET, LLC Outstanding Emerging Business of the Year Micro Business Award VAVi Sport and Social Club Most Innovative Product or Marketing Small Business Award Aarrow Advertising LLC Most Innovative Product or Marketing Micro Business Award Marketing Experts International Excellence in Customer Service Small Business Award Sullivan International Group Excellence in Customer Service Micro Business Award Resource Wizards & Teague Financial Insurance Services Outstanding Community Involvement Small Business Award St. Madeleine Sophie's Center Outstanding Community Involvement Micro Business Award Rex Downing & Associates Arts and Culture Service Award Coronado Catering Honorable Mentions: Congratulations to the honorable mentions of the 2007 San Diego Small Business Awards. AdminiStorm AIRSIS, Inc. APICS, San Diego Chapter Berg Insurance Agency bizSanDiego Cart Mart, Inc. Children's Museum/Museo de los Niños San Diego Dermacare of Mission Valley Geary Interactive Hans and Harry's Bakery Corp. Hansen Turner Solutions, LLC Hire Patriots INDUS Technology, Inc. JCMS Landscaping JP Communications, LLC K1Speed Kathy & Robert, YTB~4~Everyone Katz & Associates My Credit Group, Inc. Paul Mitchell the School - San Diego Peartrees Catering, Inc. Pyrysys Psychology Group, Inc. Salt & Associates San Diego Shockwave Sentek Consulting SkillStorm SmartDrive Systems, Inc. SZPR Inc. The Wild Thyme Company Traveltrust UBuildIt Chamber Re-evaluates Strategic Plan, Pumps up Public Policy During the summer, some people may slow down and take vacations with their families. But for the Chamber it's business as usual as we continue to work diligently to make sure our members and this region benefit from the tremendous economic and social power that we have all worked so hard to build. Your Chamber has already accomplished a great deal this year, including the creation and planning for a Political Prep School, a one-day workshop that will take place this fall at San Diego State University. The lessons will run the gamut from how to govern effectively to the impacts running for office has on one's family and business. One of the Chamber's jobs is to be a facilitator for the political process, especially as it relates to business. We need to make sure our future political leaders are armed with political and business know-how in order to do an effective job for this region. We are also in the midst of re-evaluating the Chamber's strategic plan to secure a solid path for the future. We are re-tooling our Mexico Business Center to ensure we are meeting the needs of our business members as well as our neighbors to the south. As our border continues to disappear, it remains critical that we strengthen the relationships between San Diego and Baja, Calif. On the political side, we will have a delegation travel to Washington, D.C. in the fall to meet with political leaders about our business community's concerns. Based on member input, we will be focusing on international border issues (including immigration), transportation and infrastructure funding, and healthcare. Here at home we are working closely with our public policy team to assist the City of San Diego with issues such as the budget. When you're trying to meet revenue and expense goals and address employee issues, running a city is very similar to running a business. The city ran into deep budgetary problems, which is just not a good business practice. We are lending our business expertise and the knowledge of our members to help the city get back on track for the future. As the Chamber takes a leadership role in this region, our current and future members will need to step up to the plate and work with us as a team. The bigger and stronger the Chamber is, the more positive our impact will be on this great city. We can't lead this region into the global economy of the future without you. We currently have about 3,000 member businesses, which have roughly 400,000 employees. That's a lot of voices. We encourage you to voice your opinions and thoughts about how the Chamber is doing in representing you and your business. We plan to launch our new membership campaign in September, and hope each one of you will show your support by spreading the word about how the Chamber benefits you and your business. Together, we can really make this America's Finest City. |
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Thank You to our
Renewing Members Chamber Press Releases Hot off the press |
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Members in Action Announcements, awards and updates from members |
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Your Business Advocate Leveraging its robust membership, collaborations with other organizations and political access, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce's business advocacy team initiates legislation and lobbies for policies that create a stronger pro-business environment. |