Today I am in the Governor's Council Room at the State Capitol in Sacramento with San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and a delegation of Chamber leaders including Chairman Tom Wornham, Vince Mudd, Nikki Clay, Ben Haddad, Keith Jones, Maureen Stapleton and others.

We are meeting with San Diego's legislators, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Chief of Staff Susan Kennedy, officials from the Department of Finance, Office of the Secretary of Education, Department of Water Resources, the State Water Resources Control Board, and many more.

We're discussing concerns about regulations and taxation on businesses, and the need for a reliable water supply for our region.

The Chamber supports the Governor's approach for real budget and pension reform, including a rainy day fund. Two of San Diego's local legislators, Senator Dennis Hollingsworth and Assemblyman Martin Garrick, are key to these budget negotiations.

We are also supporting higher education in our region including UC San Diego, San Diego State University, San Marcos State University, and our community colleges.

In addition, we are expressing support for the successful Enterprise Zone program that has helped employers in certain areas of San Diego by relaxing regulatory controls and encouraging private investment and job growth.