The good news from the State of the Union Address last night was the President Obama's assertion that jobs will be the number one focus of the Administration in 2010. Thank heavens. Washington is at least a year late coming to the party, but at least they've finally sent their RSVP. Hope springs eternal that they will pick up the jobs banner and run like the wind. Creating long term, sustainable private-sector jobs is the only sure way out of this economic mess.
This has been the Chico Chamber of Commerce message for decades. Successful business makes everything else possible! So in case any of them are listening...we don't care if it's an election year for you or not...roll up your sleeves and get some real work done to help the private sector create some jobs. Stay focused and get it done. Millions of jobless American's are counting on you.
We can only hope that Sacramento was listening too! California legislators are notorious for creating legislation that makes it nearly impossible for private business to easily succeed. The most recent example of this is SB 657 (Steinberg-D). This bill would mandate that "every retail seller and manufacturer doing business in this state develop, maintain and implement a policy addressing the eradication of slavery and human trafficking from their supply chain." Holy Cow.
The Chico Chamber of Commerce opposes this bill. I am confident that the business community collectively opposes slavery, human trafficking and the abusive treatment of workers. However, this legislation makes California employers responsible for the actions of businesses with which they have no contractual relationships, usually located in other countries.
The legislation also calls for the formation of a new commission of political appointees, whose authority includes charging fees to California companies they find non-compliant with the rules they create. Hmmmmmm.
This is exactly the type of legislation we are talking about when we call for the elimination of burdensome, punitive, expensive laws that make it so darned unattractive to do business in California.
How bad does the economy have to get before Sacramento begins to understand that they are they are not only killing the goose that lays the golden egg, they are cooking it and serving it up on skewers! For goodness sake...stop the madness...we can't afford it anymore!
Successful business makes everything else possible. Come on...say it with me....SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MAKES EVERYTHING ELSE POSSIBLE.
Can you hear us now?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Disappointed and Concerned
On Tuesday night this week, the City Council filled two important posts on the City's powerful Architectural Review Board (ARB) and Airport Commissions. I was disappointed to learn that a very qualified, long-time resident of Chico with years of experience in landscape design was passed over for the spot on the ARB. The reason he was not appointed, according to news reports of the interview process, was the potential for conflicts of interest that may arise if he serves on this board.
I'm sure the young woman appointed instead is bright and dedicated, even if she has absolutely no experience in the field of architecture, design or visual arts. But that isn't why I'm concerned.
It appears at first glance that folks who operate private business are now unilaterally ineligible to serve on Boards and Commissions based on the fact that their private business may, at some time or another, cause a conflict of interest with the work for the City. That's a bunch of hooey!
It's important to remember that City Boards and Commissions are set up to represent a cross-section of the community and serve as a bridge between average citizens and paid City staff and elected officials. It's critical that these Boards and Commissions are fully representative of the community through the 7 people who fill the seats. Right now it feels like the voice of business is being slowly eliminated from some of the critical decisions being made.
I served for 8 years as a member of the City Planning Commission during which time I was employed by a locally owned financial institution. From time to time, one of the banks clients would have a project before the Planning Commission. When that happened I would disclose the conflict of interest and excuse myself from the vote. Simple as that.
It may have happened more often than some people liked, but I will tell you that I participated in far more decisions than I sat out on, and I believe I brought a lot of real life, professional experience to the Commission.
It seems now, however, that the Council sees any potential future opportunity for a conflict of interest to be an eliminator in the appointment process. That situation then begs the question...who DOES remain eligible to perform this important community function?
If citizens who work in private business are excluded, that leaves only government employees, students or retirees. Certainly including a mix of those folks in these important jobs is perfectly fine, but leaving private business out altogether is just wrong.
It's difficult enough to find qualified, bright, dedicated folks who are willing to give of their time and energy to serve in this capacity considering the long hours they already work to keep their business successful enough to continue paying their employees and meet their tax burden. When one of them steps forward we should be celebrating the gifts they bring to the table, the constituency they represent, and their willingness to do what's right for our community.
Instead we tell them "thanks, but no thanks".
I admit I haven't spoken to any of the Council members directly to hear their explanation of this decision. I'm sure I will in the days/weeks ahead. In the meantime I am certain that I'm voicing the views of hundreds of folks employed by private business who increasingly feel shut out of the process.
It's one thing to listen to the voices of private business and disagree with their concerns. It's something entirely different to exclude them from the conversation in the first place.
That's just plain disappointing.
I'm sure the young woman appointed instead is bright and dedicated, even if she has absolutely no experience in the field of architecture, design or visual arts. But that isn't why I'm concerned.
It appears at first glance that folks who operate private business are now unilaterally ineligible to serve on Boards and Commissions based on the fact that their private business may, at some time or another, cause a conflict of interest with the work for the City. That's a bunch of hooey!
It's important to remember that City Boards and Commissions are set up to represent a cross-section of the community and serve as a bridge between average citizens and paid City staff and elected officials. It's critical that these Boards and Commissions are fully representative of the community through the 7 people who fill the seats. Right now it feels like the voice of business is being slowly eliminated from some of the critical decisions being made.
I served for 8 years as a member of the City Planning Commission during which time I was employed by a locally owned financial institution. From time to time, one of the banks clients would have a project before the Planning Commission. When that happened I would disclose the conflict of interest and excuse myself from the vote. Simple as that.
It may have happened more often than some people liked, but I will tell you that I participated in far more decisions than I sat out on, and I believe I brought a lot of real life, professional experience to the Commission.
It seems now, however, that the Council sees any potential future opportunity for a conflict of interest to be an eliminator in the appointment process. That situation then begs the question...who DOES remain eligible to perform this important community function?
If citizens who work in private business are excluded, that leaves only government employees, students or retirees. Certainly including a mix of those folks in these important jobs is perfectly fine, but leaving private business out altogether is just wrong.
It's difficult enough to find qualified, bright, dedicated folks who are willing to give of their time and energy to serve in this capacity considering the long hours they already work to keep their business successful enough to continue paying their employees and meet their tax burden. When one of them steps forward we should be celebrating the gifts they bring to the table, the constituency they represent, and their willingness to do what's right for our community.
Instead we tell them "thanks, but no thanks".
I admit I haven't spoken to any of the Council members directly to hear their explanation of this decision. I'm sure I will in the days/weeks ahead. In the meantime I am certain that I'm voicing the views of hundreds of folks employed by private business who increasingly feel shut out of the process.
It's one thing to listen to the voices of private business and disagree with their concerns. It's something entirely different to exclude them from the conversation in the first place.
That's just plain disappointing.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Things We Value...Part III
I continue with the discussion of Chamber values started several posts ago. You'll recall that our Board of Directors met in late October for our Annual Planning Session, determining the Top 3 Things We Value. In my last post I reported that we value being the respected voice of business in Chico.
We also value Partnership and Participation with our members. This seems rather obvious but deserves to be explored nonetheless.
A good place to start might be to discuss what the Chamber of Commerce is NOT. We are not an advertising agency although you can find some unique ways to promote your business to other Chamber members. We are not a regulatory agency, although we seem to be the first call folks make when they want to complain about a business or the City. We are not party planners, although we do throw a good Mixer!
What we are is an association of businesses, banded together to promote a climate where business can thrive. We support each other, promote ourselves within our group, debate the issues of the day, give each other the benefit of our knowledge and skills, share our successes and our challenges. That's the 'Partnership' part of this value.
So...what's the 'Participation' thing all about? To put it simply, we believe that many hands make light work. Partnership in the Chamber can't be a one-sided affair. We can't simply take your membership dues and never deliver anything you value. You expect more than that from us.
On the other hand the Chamber expects your participation as well, because honestly that's the only way to ensure you're getting the best value from your investment. There are so many ways you can participate besides the obvious Mixers, Annual Dinner and BBQ's. You can offer to train other members in your area of expertise. You can become part of our committee to track State legislation and City policy. You can help welcome new businesses as they become partners in the Chamber. You can serve on our Board of Directors. You can just offer feedback when the mood strikes. It doesn't much matter how you participate as long as you do.
I sense a new culture emerging in our nation. Actually, it's an old culture that is re-emerging. It's the culture of responsibility. For a very long time it seems that we were operating in 'fat, dumb and happy' mode. Everybody was making money. Success came easily. It was the norm to keep your head down and plow ahead, letting everyone else take care of themselves.
Most everyone has been generous with non-profits that assist children, families in need, the hungry, etc. But I'm not sure that the sense of responsibility carried over to helping each other in business, particularly not among those who compete for the same customer. Clearly there were exceptions but by-and-large, if you are in business you were pretty much on your own.
Now I'm sensing a resurgence of responsibility to our business community, and to each other. I want to foster that culture. Being responsible for and to others is a good thing. Encouraging that culture of responsibility is our challenge in the coming months.
I believe that part of that responsibility is to be a partner in the Chamber of Commerce. It seems to me that we are quite similar to Public Television...everybody benefits but only a few responsible folks pay for the service. I hope to change that. I would like to see everyone sharing the cost of the important work that the Chamber does day-in-and-day-out. Now more than ever making sure that the voice of business is heard is critical. Who's speaking for you?
We also value Partnership and Participation with our members. This seems rather obvious but deserves to be explored nonetheless.
A good place to start might be to discuss what the Chamber of Commerce is NOT. We are not an advertising agency although you can find some unique ways to promote your business to other Chamber members. We are not a regulatory agency, although we seem to be the first call folks make when they want to complain about a business or the City. We are not party planners, although we do throw a good Mixer!
What we are is an association of businesses, banded together to promote a climate where business can thrive. We support each other, promote ourselves within our group, debate the issues of the day, give each other the benefit of our knowledge and skills, share our successes and our challenges. That's the 'Partnership' part of this value.
So...what's the 'Participation' thing all about? To put it simply, we believe that many hands make light work. Partnership in the Chamber can't be a one-sided affair. We can't simply take your membership dues and never deliver anything you value. You expect more than that from us.
On the other hand the Chamber expects your participation as well, because honestly that's the only way to ensure you're getting the best value from your investment. There are so many ways you can participate besides the obvious Mixers, Annual Dinner and BBQ's. You can offer to train other members in your area of expertise. You can become part of our committee to track State legislation and City policy. You can help welcome new businesses as they become partners in the Chamber. You can serve on our Board of Directors. You can just offer feedback when the mood strikes. It doesn't much matter how you participate as long as you do.
I sense a new culture emerging in our nation. Actually, it's an old culture that is re-emerging. It's the culture of responsibility. For a very long time it seems that we were operating in 'fat, dumb and happy' mode. Everybody was making money. Success came easily. It was the norm to keep your head down and plow ahead, letting everyone else take care of themselves.
Most everyone has been generous with non-profits that assist children, families in need, the hungry, etc. But I'm not sure that the sense of responsibility carried over to helping each other in business, particularly not among those who compete for the same customer. Clearly there were exceptions but by-and-large, if you are in business you were pretty much on your own.
Now I'm sensing a resurgence of responsibility to our business community, and to each other. I want to foster that culture. Being responsible for and to others is a good thing. Encouraging that culture of responsibility is our challenge in the coming months.
I believe that part of that responsibility is to be a partner in the Chamber of Commerce. It seems to me that we are quite similar to Public Television...everybody benefits but only a few responsible folks pay for the service. I hope to change that. I would like to see everyone sharing the cost of the important work that the Chamber does day-in-and-day-out. Now more than ever making sure that the voice of business is heard is critical. Who's speaking for you?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Chamber Values Part Duex
My last post referred to the Chico Chamber of Commerce Planning Session where the Board of Directors discerned the Top 3 Things We Value. I promised to elaborate on these things but have been neglecting my blog again. Thank goodness for my friend Valerie Reddemann, President of Greenfeet.com, who continues to urge me to get-off-the-dime and blog!
The Chamber values being the respected voice of business in the community. Representing the needs of business locally is at the core of our existence and it is something we will always take very seriously. Sure, we love ribbon cuttings, mixers and promoting the various businesses that do business in Chico, but we will always point back to our undergirdings of advocacy as the real reason we're here.
Think about it...who is speaking for your business? Probably lots of folks. Your loyal customers and fans. Your advertising agency. Your mother-in-law. They are all out there giving you a shout-out whenever they have the chance, talking up your products and service as the best in town.
But who's representing you with decision makers? Who's representing you at City Council meetings late into the evening. Who's writing letters to Assemblyman, Senators and the Governor reminding them that business drives the economy?
The Chamber of Commerce does that.
I think it's important for lawmakers to be reminded often how important business is to the community. In fact, one could argue that without business, there IS no community. That's a message that can't be repeated too often.
Take a look around. Everything you see is the result of a successful business. Take a mental trip with me around town and I'll explain.
Every building, every road, every street lamp, every school, every piece of public art, even every park, is the result of successful business. In the case of most of the buildings you encounter, they were built with private investment, usually by a business. Even private homes were originally built by a developer who stuck their neck out, bought the materials, built the house, and sold it to a homebuyer. Sure, they made money doing that but that's why they take the risk in the first place.
In the case of public buildings, infrastructure and parks, those too are the result of successful private businesses paying taxes and hiring employees who also pay taxes. Without the tax dollars made possible by successful businesses, the maintenance of our public holdings is impossible, as is hiring public employees to do that work and in turn pay taxes on their own income.
It's all too easy for government leaders to forget that government doesn't create the wealth that turns our economy. They simply collect it and spend it. If you take successful business out of the equation, there is no more money to spend. No more roads, no more public art, no more schools...well, you get the idea.
The Chamber of Commerce will always be there reminding decision-makers of this basic concept. Successful business is what makes everything else possible, so let's make it possible for business to be successful.
We value the opportunity to perform the critical function of being the respected voice of business in the community, and we welcome your partnership as we execute the mission.
The Chamber values being the respected voice of business in the community. Representing the needs of business locally is at the core of our existence and it is something we will always take very seriously. Sure, we love ribbon cuttings, mixers and promoting the various businesses that do business in Chico, but we will always point back to our undergirdings of advocacy as the real reason we're here.
Think about it...who is speaking for your business? Probably lots of folks. Your loyal customers and fans. Your advertising agency. Your mother-in-law. They are all out there giving you a shout-out whenever they have the chance, talking up your products and service as the best in town.
But who's representing you with decision makers? Who's representing you at City Council meetings late into the evening. Who's writing letters to Assemblyman, Senators and the Governor reminding them that business drives the economy?
The Chamber of Commerce does that.
I think it's important for lawmakers to be reminded often how important business is to the community. In fact, one could argue that without business, there IS no community. That's a message that can't be repeated too often.
Take a look around. Everything you see is the result of a successful business. Take a mental trip with me around town and I'll explain.
Every building, every road, every street lamp, every school, every piece of public art, even every park, is the result of successful business. In the case of most of the buildings you encounter, they were built with private investment, usually by a business. Even private homes were originally built by a developer who stuck their neck out, bought the materials, built the house, and sold it to a homebuyer. Sure, they made money doing that but that's why they take the risk in the first place.
In the case of public buildings, infrastructure and parks, those too are the result of successful private businesses paying taxes and hiring employees who also pay taxes. Without the tax dollars made possible by successful businesses, the maintenance of our public holdings is impossible, as is hiring public employees to do that work and in turn pay taxes on their own income.
It's all too easy for government leaders to forget that government doesn't create the wealth that turns our economy. They simply collect it and spend it. If you take successful business out of the equation, there is no more money to spend. No more roads, no more public art, no more schools...well, you get the idea.
The Chamber of Commerce will always be there reminding decision-makers of this basic concept. Successful business is what makes everything else possible, so let's make it possible for business to be successful.
We value the opportunity to perform the critical function of being the respected voice of business in the community, and we welcome your partnership as we execute the mission.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Chamber Values
About 10 days ago the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors met for our annual Planning Session. Rather than a three-day, out-of-town off site session filled with getting to know you games and exercises, we met for a full day at Canyon Oaks Country Club. (No, not on the golf course, in the meeting room). Beginning at 7:00 AM and working straight through lunch, the Chamber Board of Directors broke through the barriers of "we've always done it this way" and talked almost exclusively about what we value, who we represent, how we measure success and how we move ourselves forward.
It was an interesting and inspiring day, although it started out with a "start"! One of our directors is a professional trainer and corporate coach. He was all set to facilitate the day and had worked hard on an agenda and power point presentation to help us focus. For my part, I was simply to bring the board up-to-speed on our current financial situation, staffing and reorganization of activities. No problemo....I'm all set! Until the phone rang at 6:30 that morning just as I was packing up to head out the door. It was Scott reporting that he had the flu, including a temperature of 102. He wisely chose to stay home and would be keeping his germs to himself.
YIKES!! Facilitating the day just fell to me and I wasn't ready. Crikey...I'm in scramble mode.
Drove QUICKLY to my office to download an e-mail from Scott containing his PowerPoint slides. Drove QUICKLY back to Canyon Oaks to set up the program and projector. Said a little prayer and dove right in.
Thankfully, I have a very understanding Board of Directors, many of whom I've worked with in various capacities for many years, and several more that I have incriminating photos of, so all in all, they were ready to WORK WITH ME!
Long-story-long, we came up with the Top 3 Things We Value, the Top 3 Measures of Our Success and our list of The Best Idea We Heard All Day. In the next few weeks, I'll be blogging about these things in detail focusing primarily on the things we value.
Some folks might not realize that the Chamber of Commerce has a value system by which we judge the things we do. Values are important to our board and to me. It's my job as CEO to make sure we are living those values every day and I take that job seriously.
I hope you'll tune in and read about our values in the coming weeks. Not really a cliffhanger as exciting as who shot J.R. Ewing, but it should be interesting nonetheless.
Stay tuned.....
It was an interesting and inspiring day, although it started out with a "start"! One of our directors is a professional trainer and corporate coach. He was all set to facilitate the day and had worked hard on an agenda and power point presentation to help us focus. For my part, I was simply to bring the board up-to-speed on our current financial situation, staffing and reorganization of activities. No problemo....I'm all set! Until the phone rang at 6:30 that morning just as I was packing up to head out the door. It was Scott reporting that he had the flu, including a temperature of 102. He wisely chose to stay home and would be keeping his germs to himself.
YIKES!! Facilitating the day just fell to me and I wasn't ready. Crikey...I'm in scramble mode.
Drove QUICKLY to my office to download an e-mail from Scott containing his PowerPoint slides. Drove QUICKLY back to Canyon Oaks to set up the program and projector. Said a little prayer and dove right in.
Thankfully, I have a very understanding Board of Directors, many of whom I've worked with in various capacities for many years, and several more that I have incriminating photos of, so all in all, they were ready to WORK WITH ME!
Long-story-long, we came up with the Top 3 Things We Value, the Top 3 Measures of Our Success and our list of The Best Idea We Heard All Day. In the next few weeks, I'll be blogging about these things in detail focusing primarily on the things we value.
Some folks might not realize that the Chamber of Commerce has a value system by which we judge the things we do. Values are important to our board and to me. It's my job as CEO to make sure we are living those values every day and I take that job seriously.
I hope you'll tune in and read about our values in the coming weeks. Not really a cliffhanger as exciting as who shot J.R. Ewing, but it should be interesting nonetheless.
Stay tuned.....
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Ode to Bear
I've been neglecting my Blog again. I think it's because I haven't been very inspired lately. Need to fix that.
Perhaps it's just because I've been really, really, did I say REALLY, busy lately. City Council meetings (please just vote on the Walmart and get it over with for cryin' out loud!), restructuring the Chamber of Commerce, twin daughters in their Senior year at Pleasant Valley High School, planning my sister's wedding for October 4 in my backyard, getting Deputized by the County to perform said wedding ceremony, and oh yeah, just trying to be a good wife.
It's been an interesting 6 weeks.
Yesterday something happened that did give me some inspiration to put some words down. My Mom and Dad's 12-year-old Chocolate Labrador Retriever died unexpectedly in his sleep. His name was Bear.
Yes, I know, he was a dog. But he wasn't just ANY dog. He was the most beautiful specimen of his breed I ever recall seeing. He should have been a "calendar dog", he was THAT handsome.
But more than that, he was the smartest, sweetest, most well-behaved animal I've ever been exposed to. Seriously. He never jumped up on you. He never licked your face. He didn't beg or whine or chew on things he wasn't supposed to. He would pack his own duffel-bag when he knew they were leaving for their cabin. No joke...he would bring his bag into the kitchen, wait for Mom to load up his food, cookies and leash, drag it out to the front yard and wait by the pick-up until it was time to go.
Bear was my Mom and Dad's constant companion for a dozen years. We delivered him as a birthday gift for Mom the year she retired from the bank. He was 8-weeks of cute, cuddly, brown, slobbery puppy, and the entire family fell in love. It sounds crazy, but he was almost like the son my folks never had, having survived raising three girls.
It's the craziest thing. I don't know that I've ever been as saddened by the loss of an animal before, not even those that I've raised myself from puppy/kitten-hood. Bear was special. He was so special that the majority of our family rallied to Mom and Dad's house to share in their grief. All three daughters, 1 son-in-law, 3 adult grandkids and two new great-grandkids, showed up to say goodbye to Bear. Clearly, he was more than just a canine.
I think he had the soul of a person behind those big brown eyes. He would stare at you when you spoke to him and it felt like he was looking right into your thoughts. I believe he truly had the capacity to love, and he loved all of us unconditionally. Not the "I know you feed me so I love you" kind of love. It was more like "I know what kind of person you really are, and I will love you until I die" kind of love. That's what makes me so sad. I feel like I've lost someone who really, truly loved me.
Imagine what kind of world we would live in if everyone took the time to look below your surface, like I will always believe Bear could. Imagine if we were accepted and treated as the soul we truly are, instead of the labels people place on us because of where we work, or who we associate with. If we could be as transparent with everyone we encounter as we are with our family (even if that family includes animals), would people have a harder time judging us harshly?
Don't really know where I'm going with this...I just know that I feel a little better doing it. I also know I will miss that dog for the rest of my life. Goodbye Bear...you were so very, very loved.
Perhaps it's just because I've been really, really, did I say REALLY, busy lately. City Council meetings (please just vote on the Walmart and get it over with for cryin' out loud!), restructuring the Chamber of Commerce, twin daughters in their Senior year at Pleasant Valley High School, planning my sister's wedding for October 4 in my backyard, getting Deputized by the County to perform said wedding ceremony, and oh yeah, just trying to be a good wife.
It's been an interesting 6 weeks.
Yesterday something happened that did give me some inspiration to put some words down. My Mom and Dad's 12-year-old Chocolate Labrador Retriever died unexpectedly in his sleep. His name was Bear.
Yes, I know, he was a dog. But he wasn't just ANY dog. He was the most beautiful specimen of his breed I ever recall seeing. He should have been a "calendar dog", he was THAT handsome.
But more than that, he was the smartest, sweetest, most well-behaved animal I've ever been exposed to. Seriously. He never jumped up on you. He never licked your face. He didn't beg or whine or chew on things he wasn't supposed to. He would pack his own duffel-bag when he knew they were leaving for their cabin. No joke...he would bring his bag into the kitchen, wait for Mom to load up his food, cookies and leash, drag it out to the front yard and wait by the pick-up until it was time to go.
Bear was my Mom and Dad's constant companion for a dozen years. We delivered him as a birthday gift for Mom the year she retired from the bank. He was 8-weeks of cute, cuddly, brown, slobbery puppy, and the entire family fell in love. It sounds crazy, but he was almost like the son my folks never had, having survived raising three girls.
It's the craziest thing. I don't know that I've ever been as saddened by the loss of an animal before, not even those that I've raised myself from puppy/kitten-hood. Bear was special. He was so special that the majority of our family rallied to Mom and Dad's house to share in their grief. All three daughters, 1 son-in-law, 3 adult grandkids and two new great-grandkids, showed up to say goodbye to Bear. Clearly, he was more than just a canine.
I think he had the soul of a person behind those big brown eyes. He would stare at you when you spoke to him and it felt like he was looking right into your thoughts. I believe he truly had the capacity to love, and he loved all of us unconditionally. Not the "I know you feed me so I love you" kind of love. It was more like "I know what kind of person you really are, and I will love you until I die" kind of love. That's what makes me so sad. I feel like I've lost someone who really, truly loved me.
Imagine what kind of world we would live in if everyone took the time to look below your surface, like I will always believe Bear could. Imagine if we were accepted and treated as the soul we truly are, instead of the labels people place on us because of where we work, or who we associate with. If we could be as transparent with everyone we encounter as we are with our family (even if that family includes animals), would people have a harder time judging us harshly?
Don't really know where I'm going with this...I just know that I feel a little better doing it. I also know I will miss that dog for the rest of my life. Goodbye Bear...you were so very, very loved.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Tonight on WWF Smackdown...Health Care Reform!
Wednesday August 19 ought to be an interesting afternoon. From 11:30 to 12:45 we'll be at the Neighborhood Church to learn more about the President's Health Care Reform Bill during a discussion with Congressman Wally Herger. A health care discussion at a church? How did THAT happen?
The whole thing started out normal enough. Congressman Herger's office contacted us about gathering a group of business leaders to discuss the pending legislation. Easy enough. We put the word out to local businesses through a press release because I really didn't want to limit attendance to just Chamber members. Maybe hindsight really is 20/20.
Within days our conference room was at capacity with a big waiting list and more calls coming in every hour. Most of those who'd RSVP'd weren't Chamber members. Most weren't even business owners. They were just interested citizens. Okay, time to change gears.
Chamber staff went to work and arranged to have the event moved to the CARD Center, with a capacity of 250. Whew. Crisis averted...or was it??
Again, within days the room was booked at capacity with another large waiting list. The most interesting part was that many folks who called were annoyed because we didn't have room for them. Chamber staff members took more abuse that week than y'all can imagine. It was truly disheartening to me, however they all kept their cool and helped folks as best they could.
We thought things would settle down, but then out of nowhere, another e-mail announcement about the event from a group other than the Chamber started the ball rolling again. This time, people were really angry, like spitting venom angry, because we couldn't seat them.
So, on go the thinking caps again, and we call the largest room we can find, Neighborhood Church, who welcomed us with open arms for the event. With 1600 seats available, we should be able to accommodate just about everyone that wants to come out.
However my anxiety level remains high. If you've been watching the news over the last few weeks, you've seen how some of these Town Hall events go. Lots of shouting, lots of threats, not much accomplished. Man, I really don't want that to happen in Chico. We don't like to behave that way 'round these parts.
Clearly this is an emotional issue on both sides, but for Heaven's sake, screaming at each other is not a solution. I've written in this blog before about the level of anger out there. When you add this issue to the poor economy, many small business owners feel like they are losing control of their businesses and by extension, their lives. Network news provides daily reminders that the anger and frustration are real.
I have a couple of suggestions with regard to the health care brawl.
First, the Obama Administration should slow down. What's the rush, anyway? If this system has been screwed up for decades now, a few more months can't hurt. I understand that this is the way it is in politics...push as much through as fast as you can while you're approval ratings are high. (Where's the 'Change' in that?) It seems that the only people that understand this bill are the few that wrote it. Take some time to think it through, educate folks, give them time to digest it, listen to their suggestions and make this the best plan it can possibly be, not just the quickest. American's don't like to be force-fed anything, especially something this big and important. And please stop adding stuff to it that doesn't need to be there.
The second is that the 'other side' opposing this legislation should stop with the fear mongering. On the one hand you say it's too big and you haven't read it all yet. In the next sentence you're shouting about some God-awful provision you think will doom us all. So, did you read it or not. If you did, please just calmly explain what it says and offer alternatives to the parts you don't like. If you didn't read it yet, try skipping the next network news interview and read the darned thing. In other words, stop being obstructionists. We get enough of that from extremists, we don't need it from our representatives.
So can we just stop all this madness? Politicians, from the top levels of the administration on down, were elected to do the work of the people. From a 'people' perspective, you're failing miserably on health care. Why not put just a small portion of that brainpower and wordsmithing skill into helping companies put people back to work. Most American businesses don't need bailouts, handouts or politicians telling us how to run our companies. The best way to help American business is to get out of our way and stay out of our pockets.
There...I feel so much better now. And I didn't even raise my voice!
The whole thing started out normal enough. Congressman Herger's office contacted us about gathering a group of business leaders to discuss the pending legislation. Easy enough. We put the word out to local businesses through a press release because I really didn't want to limit attendance to just Chamber members. Maybe hindsight really is 20/20.
Within days our conference room was at capacity with a big waiting list and more calls coming in every hour. Most of those who'd RSVP'd weren't Chamber members. Most weren't even business owners. They were just interested citizens. Okay, time to change gears.
Chamber staff went to work and arranged to have the event moved to the CARD Center, with a capacity of 250. Whew. Crisis averted...or was it??
Again, within days the room was booked at capacity with another large waiting list. The most interesting part was that many folks who called were annoyed because we didn't have room for them. Chamber staff members took more abuse that week than y'all can imagine. It was truly disheartening to me, however they all kept their cool and helped folks as best they could.
We thought things would settle down, but then out of nowhere, another e-mail announcement about the event from a group other than the Chamber started the ball rolling again. This time, people were really angry, like spitting venom angry, because we couldn't seat them.
So, on go the thinking caps again, and we call the largest room we can find, Neighborhood Church, who welcomed us with open arms for the event. With 1600 seats available, we should be able to accommodate just about everyone that wants to come out.
However my anxiety level remains high. If you've been watching the news over the last few weeks, you've seen how some of these Town Hall events go. Lots of shouting, lots of threats, not much accomplished. Man, I really don't want that to happen in Chico. We don't like to behave that way 'round these parts.
Clearly this is an emotional issue on both sides, but for Heaven's sake, screaming at each other is not a solution. I've written in this blog before about the level of anger out there. When you add this issue to the poor economy, many small business owners feel like they are losing control of their businesses and by extension, their lives. Network news provides daily reminders that the anger and frustration are real.
I have a couple of suggestions with regard to the health care brawl.
First, the Obama Administration should slow down. What's the rush, anyway? If this system has been screwed up for decades now, a few more months can't hurt. I understand that this is the way it is in politics...push as much through as fast as you can while you're approval ratings are high. (Where's the 'Change' in that?) It seems that the only people that understand this bill are the few that wrote it. Take some time to think it through, educate folks, give them time to digest it, listen to their suggestions and make this the best plan it can possibly be, not just the quickest. American's don't like to be force-fed anything, especially something this big and important. And please stop adding stuff to it that doesn't need to be there.
The second is that the 'other side' opposing this legislation should stop with the fear mongering. On the one hand you say it's too big and you haven't read it all yet. In the next sentence you're shouting about some God-awful provision you think will doom us all. So, did you read it or not. If you did, please just calmly explain what it says and offer alternatives to the parts you don't like. If you didn't read it yet, try skipping the next network news interview and read the darned thing. In other words, stop being obstructionists. We get enough of that from extremists, we don't need it from our representatives.
So can we just stop all this madness? Politicians, from the top levels of the administration on down, were elected to do the work of the people. From a 'people' perspective, you're failing miserably on health care. Why not put just a small portion of that brainpower and wordsmithing skill into helping companies put people back to work. Most American businesses don't need bailouts, handouts or politicians telling us how to run our companies. The best way to help American business is to get out of our way and stay out of our pockets.
There...I feel so much better now. And I didn't even raise my voice!
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