Chico Chamber News

The Road Ahead

2012-02-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

As I sort through the sticky notes and poster boards from yesterday's 2012 Business Summit, I am overcome with gratitude for the business leaders, community members, City staff, and elected officials who took the time to join us for an afternoon of big-picture thinking.

We went into the Summit, graciously sponsored by Alliance for Workforce Development, with several unanswered questions. We wondered if business leaders would find value in small group discussions. We wondered if we'd be successful in developing a list of finite goals. And we wondered if the energy in the room be positive.

From the feedback we've received, we can answer these questions with a resounding "yes!"

Here are the issues our 150 attendees identified as top priorities to tackle in 2012:

1. Qualified workforce
2. Regulation challenges
3. Financial assistance for business growth
4. Permit transparency

After sorting through the solutions our attendees diligently jotted down, we'll formulate strategies to address each one of these issues during the next 11 months. We're hoping to make incremental improvements this year through partnership with the City and other service organizations. We'll report back on our progress regularly, and we'll keep the business community engaged in every step of the process.

After all, even though we reached the "Summit," we've only taken the first step!

Here's an overview of our 2012 Business Climate Survey results:

Of the responses we received, most came from individuals who own or operate a business within the city limits of Chico. Most have been in business for 15 or more years and have 1-5 employees. A wide spectrum of industries is represented in these responses.

Regulations were reported as the #1 State issue inhibiting business growth, followed by Costs. A significant number of businesses feel that their needs are not being adequately represented on a state level – which is certainly good feedback.

Turning to the local level: All City regulations, policies, and practices were reported as having a neutral affect on businesses – except for Permitting which falls in the “Negative Affect” column.

Local infrastructure insufficiencies identified were: Roads, Air Commercial, and Wireless/Broadband which all fell in the “Needs Improvement” category. All other infrastructure areas identified were labeled “Sufficient.”

Challenges to growth include:
1. The economy (identified by nearly 80% of respondents)
2. Capital constraints and State regulations and practices (noted by 40% of respondents)
3. City regulations and practices (recognized by 24% of respondents)

Looking ahead, 50% of respondents indicated their business will grow or stay the same in 2012. Only 3 respondents indicated a predicted decline.

Growth opportunities in 2012 are ranked as follows:
1. Increasing sales
2. Entering new markets
3. Hiring employees
4. And introducing new products

Responses on the “Power of One” program indicate a positive reception – with 57% of respondents indicating they will or will consider creating one job in 2012.

We also asked a number of questions that required thoughtful, written responses, many of which we’ll have the opportunity to follow-up on after this event. Most comments were locally-focused: with suggestions on how to capitalize on tourism and agritourism, how to create better communication between the City and businesses, how to create partnerships that work, and how to keep business local.

The survey, in a nutshell, indicates problem areas as follows:
• State regulations
• City permitting
• Roads
• Air Commercial
• Wireless/Broadband

Given the survey results and the amazing outpouring of input we received at yesterday's Summit, we're encouraged by the work ahead.

Please feel free to contact me at katie@chicochamber.com to give us your feedback, to ask questions, and/or to get involved in the journey we've just begun.

Together, we are going to make positive changes this year -- there's no doubt in my mind.

~ Katie Simmons, Interim Managing Director

"Signing Off" at The Chico Chamber of Commerce

2011-12-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a teary week around here. Usually that's because Alice Patterson has us all laughing so hard, but this week I'm a little weepy over my impending departure on Friday.

I'm very excited about my new adventure at the Enloe Foundation. I look forward to the challenge of 'telling the story' of the Medical Center, why it's economic impact is important to the community, why it's critical that we all do our part to keep our community hospital as well equipped as possible, and why we should all be tremendously proud that we live in a community with top-notch care provided through a locally controlled, patient-centered mission.

I'll admit to being a little sad leaving a job that I have such passion for. We've come a very long way in the last three years. From severe financial stress to comfortable financial health. From inwardly focused political maneuvering to outwardly focused member-centric mission. It's been a lot of work but a really fantastic, fun time. I will miss it.

I'll miss most of all the day-to-day dealings with absolutely the most dynamic, creative and dedicated business leaders in California. Many of them are Chamber members, some are not. But by-and-large each one of them is a pillar that this community builds its economic foundation on and we should be grateful for their work. Thank you.

I'll also miss the fun and fabulous group of ladies that make up our small staff. Each of them brings talent, insight and intelligence to their position and they have a lot of fun doing it!

I think it's best to move on from a position when you remain at the top end of your game. I certainly don't want to pull a Brett Favre and end up hanging on to the old glory even as the crowd yells "Just retire already, for cryin-out-loud"! So I'll feel good about leaving the organization in good health, in good hands and traveling down the right path with a good head of steam.

As I prepare to leave my position as the leader of the Chamber, I'm content to hand over my bullhorn and my soapbox to Katie Simmons who will do a superb job of continuing the Chamber mission of being The Voice of Business. I know she's up for the challenge. While she keeps things moving ahead the Board will explore the potential benefits of unifying the Chamber with our long-term collaborative partner CEPCO. I am anxious to see the end result of this dialog.

Whomever ends up sitting in the CEO chair for the next few years, the next few decades and into the next century, one thing will remain unchanged. An organization like the Chamber, made up of local business people who dedicate their time, creativity and energy to building a strong economy together will always wield great power. MEMBERS are the power within this organization.

One last message before I sign-off because I just can't say this enough...SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MAKES EVERYTHING ELSE POSSIBLE! Thank you for working so hard to make our community a great place to live, work and play. It's been my sincere privilege to work with you all!

Sometimes...it works!

2011-09-12T16:16:00.001-07:00

Some good news out of Sacramento on Friday. AB 350 (Solorio) failed to make it off the Senate Floor. Senator Doug LaMalfa was among those who helped stop this bill. I'm pretty happy about that. This was one of those head-scratching pieces of legislation that makes you wonder who thinks this junk up. Score 1 for Business!

However, AB 22 did pass the Senate and is currently awaiting action on the Governor's desk. We're advocating for a veto. This is the bill that would prevent employers from using a job applicants credit report as part of the hiring evaluation process. That's dangerous for the employer if they are hiring someone who might have access to their assets, and dangerous for consumers if the employee has access to confidential customer information. We'll keep you posted on the outcome, but encourage you to write a letter of your own to Governor Jerry Brown and ask him to use hist Veto stamp, pronto!

Keep watching in the coming months, we'll be posting the voting records for this legislative session and you can judge for yourself who's doing a good job protecting jobs and job creators in California.

What the...

2011-08-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Sitting in my office reading through summaries of bills making their way through the California legislature, I'm suddenly feeling like I'm about to channel my grandmother. Many a time in my youth, when we kids would pull a stunt that was stupid, or dangerous or both, Nana would lean out over the porch and holler "What in the Hell do you think you're doing out there?" That'll get your attention by golly!

Today, I want to holler that towards Sacramento. If only they were listening!

There remain (too) many job killer bills that continue working their way through committees in Sacramento that are stupid, or dangerous, or both. Instead of spending their time concentrating on creating private-sector jobs to help fix this lousy economy, they are writing nonsense bills that do nothing to spur job growth.

Take for instance AB 889 (Ammiano; D-San Francisco). If passed, this bill will require anyone hiring a domestic worker—including babysitters, yard maintenance crews and nannies—to provide a duty-free, 30-minute meal period at or before five hours of work and a 10-minute uninterrupted rest period at or before four hours of work.

Forgetting for a minute that the bill expands mandates to private homeowners that sophisticated businesses with professional human resources staff already struggle with, this bill does NOTHING to promote hiring in California. In fact, I can't imagine how you'd even enforce this. I don't know about you, but I'm not even home when my yard care crew shows up, so I've got absolutely no idea when they take a lunch break, let alone a rest period. If I was hiring a nanny, am I supposed to hire another nanny to watch the kid while the first nanny takes a meal period? Honestly?

While this bill is stalled for the remainder of this year, you can bet it will be back next year, and we'll be on the watch for it. This one falls squarely into the category of stupid.

Here are a few that cross over into dangerous from a job-creation point of view. We're continuing to follow, and strongly oppose, AB 22 (Mendoza; D-Artesia) that will limit an employers ability to use a consumer credit report when evaluating job applicants. We also strongly oppose AB 375 (Skinner; D-Berkely) that will increase Worker's Compensation costs for private and public hospitals by expanding injury presumptions.

AB 350 (Solario; D-Anaheim) requires subsequent contractors performing property services (cleaning, maintenance, cafeteria, etc) to hire the employees of the previous contractor when taking over a new property. This bill is headed to the Senate Floor, and we continue to oppose it. You should, too. This bill puts State government squarely into the realm of mandating who private business must hire.

The State legislature has clearly taken their eye off the ball when it comes to turning this economy around. While the private sector struggles to find ways to survive this economy, they continue to build roadblocks in the form of nonsensical regulations. It's time to STOP!

Here's an idea for any legislator considering writing a new bill, or supporting most of what's currently on the table. If it doesn't make it easier to create jobs in the private sector, JUST SAY NO. Stop wasting your time and our money. Get back to work on what matters, and what matters to everyone right now are jobs, plain and simple.

So, because it appears you folks in Sacramento haven't been listening lately, let us put it into grandmother terms for ya.

All together now...."What in the Hell do you think you're doing out there?"

The Blonde Days of Summer

2011-08-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Some days I'm wise to just let it all go and embrace my 'Inner Blondeness'. Now before anybody flies off the handle and calls me a hair-racist, let me explain.

For me, embracing my Blondeness has nothing whatsoever to do with hair color or even (gasp) intelligence. It's all about adopting a level of calm focus vs. my normal, frantic, control-freak overload. When I decide to have a Blonde day, I stop spending time worrying about things I cannot control (politics, the crazy ride on the stock market, teenage daughters on road trips) and focus all my energy on activities that can move my business plan forward and make my home life (read: husband) happier.

On Blonde days, I'm a lot more productive because I do just let it all go, take the pressure off of myself to fix every-single-little-thing that isn't perfect and just do what needs doing. I encourage everyone to try it sometime. Clearly this frame of mind has nothing at all to do with hair color, it's just that...a frame of mind. I could just as easily call it a Focus day, a Production day or a Flat-Heeled Shoe day. Whatever works.

What always puts me in the proper mood for one of these days is recalling a bit of history from Great Britain during the early days of WWII. The British Ministry of Information created a series of public messages intended to build morale and quiet the fears of British citizens facing the real possibility of enemy invasion. It was a terrifying, unprecedented time and the future was uncertain.

You could actually draw some parallels between what those folks were feeling and how many American business leaders feel in today's turbulent times. Certainly we don't have to worry about actual bombs dropping on our heads, but the metaphorical bombs from an unstable economy, high unemployment and low consumer confidence can be truly scary, too.

So what was the message that kept the British going in those dark days? It was simple, it was straightforward and it remains as strong and positive today as it was then.

"Keep Calm and Carry On". That's it..."Keep Calm and Carry On".

I'd be willing to bet that the businesses that have survived and thrived over the last 50 years or more have adopted this strategy in one way or the other. Somehow through the ups-and-downs of past economies, natural and man-made disasters, world conflicts and personal tragedies, these business leaders decided to keep calm and carry on.

If it worked for them, it can work for me, and for you.

In the coming weeks I plan to reach out to several of the successful companies that have survived and thrived locally for 50 years or more. I want to discover those strategic gems that carried them through tough times, the unforeseen landmines that forced them to step back, and ultimately the inner passion that keeps them moving forward in the face of adversity. In other words, how do they keep calm and carry on?

I plan to start with Fanno Saw Works, a family owned business spanning four generations that will be celebrating 90 years of success in Chico this year. 90 YEARS! I'm excited to hear their story and to share it with you. So keep checking back...

and in the meantime...embrace your own inner Blondeness while you Keep Calm and Carry On.

What's in a Legacy?

2011-08-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

How much time do we waste worrying about our personal legacy? Likely too much. If we are making life decisions based on what other people will think about us 50 years from now, we are likely missing opportunities to do something great. It seems to me that if we just do the right thing, day-in-and-day-out the whole legacy thing will take care of itself. Trying too hard to steer it can take you pretty far off the right road.

That's not to say that legacy's aren't important. They are from the standpoint that they set an example for others to follow. Mother Teresa's legacy will bring positive change in the lives of millions of people she's never met over the course of human history. Lindsay Lohan's...not so much.

So if you're doing the right thing personally and professionally, your legacy will take care of itself.

It struck me like a baseball bat upside my thick skull last week, the Chamber of Commerce enjoys a partnership with many local businesses that spans DECADES! Let's call them "Legacy Members". I am absolutely humbled by the hundred businesses that have partnered with the Chamber of Commerce longer than 20 years, scores that have been with us for over 30 years, nearly a dozen that have belonged for over 50 years, and more than a handful that have been partnered with the Chamber for over 70 years! SEVENTY YEARS!

The Office of the President of CSU-Chico has been a registered member of the Chamber of Commerce for over 80 years.

The length of time these businesses have partnered with the Chamber is, in itself, not a legacy. The legacy is present in the decades of success these organizations enjoyed. The owners of Northern Star Mills, Shubert's Ice Cream, JC Penney and Peters, Rush, Habib & McKenna, along with many others, have been serving this community for over 70 years and all of that time they have partnered with the Chamber. Why?

I honestly don't believe its because they love Thursday Night Mixers and Ribbon Cuttings, although those are certainly fun and entertaining. I think its because they see the value in the important advocacy work of the Chamber of Commerce. I'd also bet my last 5 cents that they do it because they want to support the rest of the business community. Perhaps, simply put, they know its the right thing to do.

So think about it. Successful longevity in business and a partnership with the Chamber of Commerce. Coincidence? I think not...

Too Much Noise

2011-07-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

Haven't blogged in a while. It's not that I don't have a lot to say and those of you that know me know that's oh-so-true. I guess I've just been busy with 'stuff'. We celebrated the 50th Anniversary of R.W. Knudsen Family in June. It was a great event, and we're already looking forward to celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Madison Bear Garden next June. That'll be AWESOME!

The Chamber Education Committee has created a plan to showcase businesses at the City Council Meetings once a month. We've been working with Mayor Schwab to get that organized and calendared. I feel good about the prospect of highlighting the significant contribution these businesses make in our economic landscape. You know what I always say...'Everything you see is the result of a successful business'.

The Education Committee also continues to plan for a Fall business symposium with a panel of experts on capital access, human resources, marketing, legal issues and sustainability. Chamber business leaders will have an opportunity to ask questions as well as brainstorm with other business leaders on the great ideas that have helped them survive these turbulent times. Watch for details of this October 13 event.

A few weeks ago the Chamber Board of Directors presented the City Council Economic Development sub-committee with a list of 10 ideas to help stimulate some economic development locally. The list is available on our website if you're interested in seeing it. The sub-committee directed staff to review the list and reach out to various organizations to discern those ideas that can be implemented effectively. Some are as simple as placing signage on I-5 and Hwy. 70 to urge folks to pull-over for a stop in Chico (and hopefully spend some money). Another more complex idea is to work on a plan to create a community center/sports facility/convention venue in Chico. These ideas will take a lot of cooperative work, but hey, we've got to start somewhere!

Of course, we continue to track the various and sundry bills working their way through the legislature. Funny...it seems to me that considering the bloody mess we're in with regard to our State budget, the legislature would be working on fixing that problem and creating more jobs for the hundreds of thousands Californians that have been out of work for more than 12 months, but noooooo...they're writing bills instead. Some of them are just nutty and will do nothing but make it tougher for California businesses to grow. The Chamber has and will continue to fight these job-killer bills on behalf of our members. We do it so you don't have to.

The Rotary Club I belong to participated in an interesting exercise with about 150 members at lunch today. It drove home the point about the importance of organizations like Rotary as well as the Chamber of Commerce. It went something like this...

The speaker asked us all to shout out our first and last names. On the count of three we shouted. It was just a bunch of noise. We were then instructed to shout out "The Rotary Foundation". On the count of three, a unified chorus rattled the building with a clear and discernible message. It was clear what we said and even clearer that we meant it!

The Chamber of Commerce is that clear and discernible voice for business. Without the unity of one loud voice, legislators can tune us out as just too much noise. We can't let that happen. Even though we might not be in the same room at the same time shouting on the count of three, The Chamber of Commerce IS the unified voice of business and when we speak people are listening. It's clear what we're saying and it's clear that we mean it.

Time to ask yourself...who's speaking for YOUR business?

Job Creation Do's and Don'ts, Part Deux

2011-04-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

In my last post I relayed my thoughts on the CA legislatures efforts to eliminate an important tool used by many employers (consumer credit report information) in hiring competent employees while protecting their assets and the personal information of their customers. There is another piece of legislation moving its way through the legislature that, if passed, will significantly increase the cost of doing business in CA at the worst possible time.

AB 10 (Alejo), proposes to increase the CA minimum wage by fifty-cents to $8.50/hour in January 2012, and then automatically index annual increases based on the inflation rate. A minimum wage increase to $8.50 an hour would make California's minimum wage the second highest in the nation.

There are several reasons to oppose this increased burden on employers. First, as many businesses struggle to simply survive in the midst of a serious recession, increasing their employee costs will not help to spur job growth, and let's face it, job growth is the only real way to dig out of this economic hole.

Now before anyone gets started on the "you're just protecting greedy business owners" bandwagon, let me remind you that the vast majority of employers in this country are small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Those business owners are not getting rich in this economy. Most of them are struggling to survive, struggling to pay their bills and taxes, and struggling to meet payroll every two weeks so they don't have to lay anybody (else) off. Raising the minimum wage will not help them do that.

It's important to remember that an increase in minimum wage does not only increase the cost of hourly employees' wages, but salaried employees' compensation as well. In order for employees to qualify as 'exempt' under any of the six exemptions in CA labor laws, they must meet a salary based test. In other words, they must earn at least two-times the minimum wage. If AB 10 is implemented, annual salaries for exempt employees would increase from a minimum of $33,280 to $35,360, and continue to increase each year based on the inflation index.

Second, it seems to me that automatically increasing employee costs annually based on inflation will not only crush job creation, but will have a spiraling effect on the economy. Increased costs will necessarily need to be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices...increasing inflation...increasing employee costs...increasing prices...increasing inflation...increasing employee costs... You get the idea.

Interesting point...this automatic adjustment moves only one-way, UP! There is no provision in the law for decreasing minimum wage during times of deflation. In other words it locks-in the higher wages when prices (and presumably profits) decline. That's simply bad economic policy.

We must always keep in mind what sets CA apart from the rest of the country when we talk about job creation, the good, the bad and the ugly. We have a talented workforce, nearly perfect weather and a lovely quality of life. Good.

CA is also one of the most challenging places to do business. Higher taxes, highly restrictive regulations and a nearly bankrupt state government. Bad.

We already know its expensive to do business in CA. Continuing to increase the cost of keeping people working doesn't make any sense in a deep recession. Nor will it help us stem the tide of employers leaving the state or encourage others to come. Worse yet, it will likely stop those that are already here from creating new job opportunities. That's just ugly.

Job Creation Do's and Don'ts

2011-04-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

Oh my Blog...how I have forsaken thee. Far too many months since I've written, not that I've been slackin' off you understand. There has been a lot of activity lately, some good and some not so good.

Good news...Super Bowl MVP Quarterback Aaron Rodger's hails from Chico. Now you KNOW that's got to be good for tourism. (No parade though. You asked for it and we tried our best but it isn't going to happen. Please stop asking...)

Not-so-good news...the State of California remains (seemingly) hopelessly deadlocked on budget negotiations. Too much finger-pointing and not enough compromise(things we all should have learned in grade school) are glaringly absent from the process. That's bad for everyone.

But even with the deadlock on the budget the legislature still seems hell-bent on writing bills that are truly bad for job creation and employers. Two you should know about are AB 10 and AB 22. The Chamber of Commerce is following these closely and lobbying our lawmakers to oppose them both.

AB 22 (Mendoza) negatively affects private employers by restricting their ability to utilize consumer credit reports when making employment decisions.

Employers utilize employee credit reports to assist in the overall evaluation of an applicant, just like they use college degree requirements, past employment references, etc. All these factors together provide objective information regarding an individuals past behavior or character as an indicator of their likely future behavior.

Employees in many industries (think in-home care, senior care facilities, hospitals, car retailers) have access to not only the employer's assets and financial information, but also the assets and financial information of customers. All of us should want employers to have access to all the data they need to help them make the best hiring decision possible. AB 22 needs to be killed.

Next post we'll report on AB 10 (Alejo), another job-killer bill that we're following. But now...back to work!

It's a tough job...and I'm glad he's doing it!

2011-01-04T16:13:00.000-08:00

Dave Burkland, City Manager for the City of Chico is one of my new hero's. He's a soft-hearted guy with a spine of steel. Just what we need in these wacky economic times.

It's been a tough-row-to-hoe running City government the last few years. Declining revenues that seem to continue a downward spiral, State 'government' (which continues to seem like an oxymoron) raiding our funds and so far very little upturn in the forecast to hang your hat on. Imagine managing this beast is your job...this is the stuff of sleepless nights.

When faced with a nasty situation like this there is very little left to do except cut personnel expense. I know from experience that this is the most difficult business of business. Nobody wants to look an employee in the eye and tell them they are going to make less money at their job next year, or worse, they have no job at all. Employees and colleagues are like family and delivering this type of news truly hurts your heart.

Luckily most of us don't have to face the additional challenge of dealing with labor negotiators (union representatives). Dave Burkland does.

When the true budget shortfall became apparent Dave made the tough decision to fix it with a 5% cut across-the-board and he has had the support of City Council members the entire time.

The process so far probably seems pretty painless to the average Joe Citizen on the outside looking in. Most of the unions have agreed, one hasn't and one is still deciding. But it ain't over 'til its over so we should all be paying attention.

Now don't get me wrong, I love all my City services too, especially Police and Fire. I truly wish there was no limit to the funding available to pay the folks who protect us, the added benefit of course being that would mean that everybody else was doing well, too. Because the simple truth is all that money comes from taxes paid by private businesses who hire people who also pay taxes, who then spend more money that gets taxed again and so on and so forth. You get the idea.

And in case you haven't noticed, private business ain't doing so great. Sure there are some bright spots but the majority continue to limp along, paying less taxes on lower revenue and hiring fewer people to pay more tax on their earnings. Get it?

What isn't being said often enough is that this is a long-term shift in our economy and the sooner organized labor representatives accept that the better off we will all be. There simply isn't enough money anymore and working less (i.e. furloughs) is a short-term bandage on a long-term problem. Let's be honest...when times are tough, working less is never a good idea.

The point of this post isn't to bad-mouth labor or point the finger at anybody embroiled in this mess. It really is meant to give credit to a guy who's doing his damnedest to make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

Throughout this challenging, emotional process Dave has maintained his sense of compassion, his dedication to the citizens of Chico and his humility. And he's never taken his eye off the necessary final outcome. He shoulders this significant burden with class. I'm glad he's steering this boat and I think we're lucky to have him.

Nicely done Dave...nicely done indeed.

Thank goodness THAT'S over!

2010-11-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

Ah...the sweet respite of November. Gone is the sweltering heat and dusty landscape of late summer. Cool early rains wash away the stagnant air and accumulated dirt. Happy thoughts turn the coming holiday season with its promise of family, friends, food, fun and frivolity. And the best part...NO MORE POLITICAL ADS, MAIL OR PHONE SOLICITATIONS. At least for a few months.

I'm not sharing anything earth-shattering here. Everybody seems to hate election seasons. For the most part I find the entire process has become repulsive and I've actually participated as a candidate in the not-too-distant past. There is no getting around it. You cannot take the politics out of politics.

So why even bother writing about it?

The average Joe (or Jolene) can't change the way politicians or national media conduct themselves in the bi-annual painfests. And if you think about it, all that money being spent on mailers, TV and radio, candidate dinners and stump-speeches is actually doing some good by putting a few folks to work. I'm sure local TV, radio, banquet and billboard companies are glad to have had the election business during this otherwise limp economy. So there is at least one bright point to the whole mess.

I've got to admit that it was a breath of fresh air that our local office-seekers ran respectful, issue driven campaigns. I didn't hear of any last minute hit-pieces or truly negative activities. We should give them all a pat on the back for conducting themselves with civility.

What remains a concern, at least for me, is the seemingly non-stop downward spiral in our overall societal behavior that now carries itself well beyond the election process and permeates most of our lives.

The slow economic recovery causes further frustration which leads to anger which leads to fear which eventually surfaces in really inappropriate ways.

Think back a ways. Remember when we could agree-to-disagree after effectively debating diverse points of view, even about truly important issues like the economy and social services? I do. Those seem like the good ol' days when folks respected differing opinions, even if they didn't entirely buy the argument, and in the end a compromise could usually be found.

I remember when the President of the United States was referred to as "The President" or "President Whoever". Nowadays, it's just "insert last name here" without even the least bit of respect for the office itself (even if you don't particularly like the man). If we can't even muster enough respect for the institution of the presidency to put a Mr. in front of his name, why should we expect the upcoming generations to show us ol' geezers any respect?

I guess it is the loss of respect for each other that's really bothering me. Our society seems to be running downhill in our ability or willingness to show respect for others. Don't believe me? Look up just about any newspaper article or letter to the editor on-line, even the seemingly benign ones, and read the online 'forum' where folks get to post their own thoughts. It's frightening.

What's worse than that? The folks who get all up in arms about a subject they clearly know very little about but go ahead and start a "I Hate So-And-So" Facebook page, all in an effort to stir up more anger and misinformation. Oh PULEEEEZE! Do you really think that kind of crap is helpful?

We all see the network news telecasts, the talking-heads have all morphed into shouting-heads. Everybody is shouting over each other to the point where you have no freakin' idea what ANY of them are saying. For all you can tell, they might even be agreeing!

This isn't a new topic in my posts. It's a sadly recurring theme. Mostly because it truly does worry me. As a business leader, as a mother, as an American. This behavior is flat out wrong and nobody seems to be discussing it. And that's the most worrisome thing of all.

So, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm going to keep talking about it. And I pledge that while I may strongly disagree with the opinions of others, I'll be damned if I won't respect their right to say it and will at least give them a respectful ear. And then, if I must argue my point I will do it respectfully, without insult or flinging hateful missives. I also vow NEVER to post hateful comments or untruths to an on-line forum while hiding behind a cowardly cartoon figure and fake name.

If enough people join my 'Movement of Respect' perhaps we can actually get something positive accomplished.

Hey...a gal's got to have a goal.

Welcome to Chico....Now Behave Yourself!

2010-08-11T13:41:00.001-07:00

A very long Spring and late rains in the upper Sacramento Valley make it feel as if Summer just began. We've enjoyed very few days of over 100 degree heat, so I have a hard time remembering that we're in mid-August already.

Of course, mid-August around here brings a lot of excitement. The City Council race is heating up, Chico Unified is back in session and we will soon be welcoming all the Chico State students (back) to Chico. This year that will include roughly 1400 first-time freshman.

Enrollment at Chico State is down this year, as it is in the entire CSU system, the result of a State budget that remains, well, ridiculously screwed up. (Sorry...there's just no nice way to say that).

But even with lower enrollments the City will soon be impacted by an influx of young and exuberant students, eager to flex their independence muscles and venture into the land of grown-up living. Our twins are among them and the excitement is tangible.

There are dorm rooms to decorate, bikes to tune-up, closets to clean out. (Imagine if you will the shear volume of clothing twin teenage girls can accumulate over 18 years. It's mind-boggling.) Our girls are lucky enough to be moving into Sutter Hall, the almost-finished, state-of-the-art dorm on campus. I hope some day they'll fully understand how lucky they are to enjoy the opportunity to live on campus, becoming fully absorbed in college life, even though we live right here in town. Right now they are just too excited about starting school to be reflective about that, so we won't hold our breath just yet.

It's this time of year that the community as a whole breathes a big sigh.

Those of us in business can tell you very clearly what the student population does for our local economy. Statistics indicate that student spending averages about $13,000 per student for the academic year. That includes their housing, food, clothing and entertainment. That economic boost represents the sigh of relief we feel that more money will soon be circulating in our economy.

And then there is the other sigh...the one of mild apprehension. Will all these new residents understand their responsibilities to the community. Will they respect our laws, property and traditions? Will they, in essence, behave themselves?

Every year University leadership does a good job of outlining the expectations of living in Chico and I'm guessing that most of the students start out wanting to be good neighbors. And every year the community hopes they stick to that goal.

I hope that the current crop of students remembers a few basic rules. Here's my own list in no particular order:

1. Be respectful to your elders. You attend college at a CSU campus and that means that all of us are helping finance your education, so be nice to the local taxpayers.

2. It is never OK to mistreat our Police Department personnel. Pay attention to the laws and you'll do just fine.

3. Spend more money in local stores than you do on the Internet. It's important to our local economy.

4. St. Patricks Day, Cesear Chavez Day and Halloween are not good reasons for drinking to excess and forgetting rule #2.

5. Urinating in public is never okay. Seriously...NEVER.

6. Be a good Samaritan sometimes. It never hurts and might make you feel good about yourself.

7. When walking downtown in the sidewalk....HURRY UP! You are holding up traffic when you dawdle, so put-a-fire-under-it and get out of the street.

So that's my short list. Feel free to share it will a college student near you.

And now the downside of attending school in your hometown when your parents are somewhat involved in the community...it's much tougher to get away with anything without your parents finding out. Bummer...

What Do You Mean It Was All Fake???

2010-07-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Big news on the web today...MTV's 'reality' show The Hills was apparently faked!?! (Gasp) Really? It was fake? Who would have ever guessed that this wasn't truly a long-running peek-through-the-windows of overindulged twenty-somethings REAL lives? Shocking...

A generation of viewers all over America are broken hearted as the true reality begins to set in. You were duped (i.e. lied to). You invested far to much time watching a soap opera disguised as real life. You invested your time, energy and emotion into a music network's attempt to brainwash you into believing that people really live like that and you should want to, too.

Here is the real story...none of this stuff is honest-and-truly real life. It's all staged to a certain degree to keep you watching.

So why should anyone really care about whether or not young folks think these shows are real?

Honestly, I'm convinced the nonsense they are bombarded with is negatively affecting their outlook on life, creating a sense of entitlement and, in the end, destroying their work-ethic and ability to build long-term healthy relationships.

Now don't get me wrong. My generation watched TV growing up too. The difference was we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Professor couldn't build a radio out of a palm tree and Maryann couldn't really make cream pies with just coconuts. We were also very aware that Steve Austin could not outrun a speeding Amtrak train on foot. It was only entertainment. Silly, fun and fake.

So other than the fact that we spent far too much time in front of the TV, we weren't living under delusions of someday becoming part of Starfleet. (Well, except for those guys that go to conventions dressed up as Klingons).

I'm not so sure about the current generation of young adults though. They are so overexposed to 'reality' TV they may not recognize that most people do not have Sweet 16 parties on cruise ships or spend $12,000.00 on a wedding dress. Certainly there are a few people who do, but this is not mainstream America.

When you add this type of skewed perception of real life to the propensity to live ones own life primarily through Facebook, texting and online forums, you can easily begin to see how civilized society could fall-off-a-cliff if something doesn't change soon.

This skewed sense of reality is already pretty apparent in the up-and-coming workforce. Many (albeit not all) younger employees have a very different work ethic than the previous generation. There is absolutely a 9 to 5 mentality out there. I've heard many of them say straight up that they don't intend to work as hard as their parents did.

(I do see exceptions to this mindset among the Chamber's Young Professionals Organization. This seems to be a group of newer entrants to the workforce who are trying hard to model their careers after the successful role models of our community. Cheers to them.)

Far too many others however, seem to think us ol' geezers work long hours, nights and weekends for no good reason, at the expense of our personal happiness. Nope. We do that because we know you can't stand out, get ahead and build a successful career by doing 'the minimum'. We also know that there is a significant amount of personal happiness that can be derived from a job done well. That's the good message that gets lost in most 'reality' TV offerings.

But let's be hopeful. Maybe this new economy has one saving grace...the younger work force will have to 'get real' about what it takes to become truly successful.

And just maybe, MTV did us all a favor last night by 'fessing up, revealing the reality of 'reality' TV...almost none of it is real at all.

Ramblings of a Mad Woman...

2010-06-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

Wow. Where has the time gone? Easter came and went....school is out...Spring has sprung (almost), and a fun summer season is on the way. It will be July 4th before we know it!

Everything crept up on me so fast. Our twin-teenage-units graduated from PV High School last week, in the pouring rain. What a proud moment for all three of us parental-units. Holding both offices of ASB President and Senior Class President, the twins gave remarkably insightful speeches at graduation. They did great and really represented well the tremendously talented Class of 2010.

The whirlwind of grad parties, all-night parties, after-all-night-party-parties, and the all important day-after-the-after-all-night-party-party left us exhausted. Now it seems like a good time to settle in for a relaxing summer before the dorm move-in date rolls by. I wonder what it will be like to come home after work and find my house as clean as I'd left it that morning? Hmmmmmm.

But wait...there WON'T be any relaxing this summer, for this is another election year! Doesn't it seem that election season never really seems to end? It's really quite tiring, but you have to give a nod to all those hardy souls that put their own lives and careers on hold to run for public office. It's a lot of work.

And yet, even as we applaud them for running it's easy to get pretty tired of the endless recorded phone calls, mailboxes full of mailers, TV and radio spots, etc, etc, etc.

And as tired as I get from all of this, I remind each and every one of you that voting is ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU WILL EVER DO! No kidding. It's not just your right, it's your obligation! Do your homework. Talk to your friends, family and associates. Debate the issues and get your facts straight. And after you've done all that, cast your ballot. Just Do It!

The Chamber of Commerce has posted recommended positions on all the Statewide Ballot Measures and we invite you to read our recommendations as you do your homework. But don't look for us to make individual candidate endorsements. Nosiree-Bob! Not gonna do it...wouldn't be prudent.

Seriously. If you didn't already know the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Board of Trustees of the ChicoPAC voted to cease candidate endorsements almost 2 years ago. I'm happy about that. I think it's much better that we stick to the issues and leave the personalities of candidates out of it. Our time is much better spent being 'the voice of business'...advocating on behalf of business with whomever wins. That's what we're good at...and that's what we'll keep doing.

And that is more than enough rambling for today....

Want Something Done...Call A Local Business Owner

2010-04-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

The "Welcome To Chico" sign in south Chico on Hwy 99 has looked anything but welcoming lately. It has been gradually wearing down over the last few years and a particularly heavy storm this past Winter left it looking like something out of a low-budget horror flick. (Think Norman Bates and the hotel on the hill....yikes!)

Of course there was the usual flurry of Tell-It-To-The-ER comments..."who's responsible for that ugly thing...it's an embarrassment...SOMEBODY needs to do SOMETHING!" But wait...who is SOMEBODY?

It's interesting that these types of situations always generate a lot of calls to the Chamber of Commerce. But then again we get calls when people want to know where they can buy a bigger frying pan and how to get rid of bedbugs. Honestly...

This is one of those things that everyone wants to claim ownership of when it looks great, and point to others as being responsible when it goes bad. The reality is pretty muddy. As far as I can tell the sign is on private property, but was built by volunteers with private money...a very, very long time ago.

In any case it was immediately clear that it would take money and labor to get it fixed. There was demolition of the old sign to do, reinforcement of the underlying skeleton and reconstruction of the exterior. So who ya gonna call?

Never fear...this is Chico and things get DONE here. The flurry of calls caught everyones attention...the discussion grew...and then suddenly...LOOK, UP IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD...IT'S A PLANE...IT'S DINO CORBIN!

Yes, Chico has Superheros. A lot of them. And usually in the front of the pack waving the rally flag is Dino Corbin of Deercreek Broadcasting. Radio is his day job, but community service is his passion. If you know him at all, you know that for sure.

And Dino KNOWS people. A lot of people. People who, like him, love to give back to their community in quiet and unassuming ways. People who will not only fork over their hard earned cash to fund a project, but will slap on a nail bag, fire up their tractors, draw up the design, arrange for the permits and get the doggone job DONE!

People like Gage Chrysler and Steve Seegart of Modern Building Company, Frank Solinsky of Payless Building Supply, Tom Dauterman of Thomas Manufacturing, Danny Andreasen of Cleanrite Buildrite, Alex DuBose of Guy Rents, Keith Kuykendall of First Impression Signs and Roger Hart at 3Core.

And when these folks start rolling, they are a force to behold!

I have not doubt that this sign will be in beautiful shape in no time at all. And when it's finished, these folks won't stand around slapping themselves on the back and shouting from the rooftops "Look what we did...We are AWESOME!"

Nope. They'll probably just shake hands, nod 'nice job' to each other, and go on back to their real jobs. They will have made a tangible difference in the aesthetics of our community and they won't expect a damned thing for it. Because that's the kind of people they are.

Most people will never know how much these folks do for our community because they don't ask for our thanks, but I think we should all be a heck-of-a-lot more appreciative of them, and many others just like them, every single day. And the next time you hear someone bad-mouthing business in this community, kindly remind them of what YOU know that they obviously don't. Business people in Chico make good things happen. The Chico Chamber of Commerce knows that, and we are deeply grateful to all of them.

Just because they don't wear capes, doesn't mean they aren't SUPERHEROS!

The Internet...Giving Ill-Informed, Mean People a Voice for Over 20 Years

2010-04-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Wait...let me slip on my asbestos undies before I finish this blog entry. Why? Because I'm pretty sure the title alone will create the sort of nasty, dirt-slinging, name calling free-for-all I'm going to write about.

How often have you visited a news site on the Internet and made the mistake of reading some of the horrendous 'comments' that people post about the story? You know what I'm talking about...the type of truly hideous things that people will write/say only when they are hiding behind a cartoon-faced, fictitious name moniker that gives them the courage to be publicly awful.

I've looked at some of them and they can be so mean they make my skin crawl. I know I shouldn't even bother looking but it's like passing a car wreck...you just get sucked in and are so shocked by what you see that you can't look away.

Yes, I've been on the receiving end of some of those nasty comments. Sometimes they call me stupid, or greedy, or a corporate shill (whatever that's supposed to mean). I generally let it roll-off because whoever is writing it is just reacting to something I did/said that they disagree with. I'm usually just puzzled why they can't disagree with me without being nasty about it.

Several months ago I saw a similarly degrading string of comments related to a coaching change on my twin daughters high school basketball team that, for some reason or another was reported in the local paper. The comments directed at the young women on the team were truly degrading. I honestly believed that nothing would surprise me anymore until I read some of that tripe. What kept going through my mind was "It's HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL for crying-out-loud"! Why would anyone want to flex their insult-hurling muscles about a thing like that?

The more I think about it, it seems that a national state of incivility has taken over, manifested by the ease of spewing anonymous venom to millions of people without consequence...i.e. the Internet. What's so odd is that often it appears people don't seem to know the real issue that they are ranting-on about. They are just 'posting angry' for the sake of seeing their anger take shape in the form of printed words.

So as not to appear a hypocrite, I will admit here and now that I am very pointed in my blog posts, newsletter CEO columns and an occasional letter to the editor. I do try hard however to refrain from name-calling, degrading language or personal attacks. I do my best to talk about issues rather than people. I'm not perfect but I try pretty hard.

The type of unkind behavior I'm referring to doesn't just bother me, it worries me. How on earth did so many Americans become such foul, insensitive, angry humans? Are our lives so horrible that we must resort to spitting angry words into the ether without regard for who it effects? This simply cannot be the end-result of what our forefathers dreamed when they protected free speech, because this type of dialog won't end up being free...it may very well cost us our humanity.

It gets even worse if the discussion starts with a dialog about local, state or national politics. Those are the kinds of posts that will scare the heck out of you, at least they scare me. And I don't buy all that baloney that one side or the other is responsible. The nastiness comes from both sides and anyone who says differently is not being honest.

I wonder some days...how bad will it get before the pendulum starts to swing back toward civility? How many generations of young people will we raise that grow up without any regard for human feelings, social graces or civil debate?

Turning this around won't come from politicians, or the media, the right or the left. Turning this around will come from the folks that still care about how other people feel as well as how they treat one another. When those folks start to stand up and say "this kind of behavior is NOT okay with me!"

So, let me be one of the first to jump on this bandwagon. This type of behavior is not okay with me. Who's with me??

The One-Rule Test

2010-03-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

I was pleased that the City of Chico Arts Commission set aside their draft policy that would have called for private property owners to include a public art component in their projects to the tune of 1% of their total project costs. Citing the current economic climate (which most of us agree is lousy) the Commissioners decided to table this proposal for now. We are relieved to not have to fight this ill-conceived idea, there is so much else we need to be doing!

I have an idea! I actually have ideas quite often, but many of them are either too difficult to implement, or are just plain nuts. Either way, if I could find a way to get paid PER IDEA instead of having to achieve actual results, I'd be rich. I'd also likely be an elected State official...but I digress.

This idea could actually work, simply because it's so simple! It's called the 'One Rule Test' and, if applied by all government officials and staff, would solve our economic problems lightening fast.

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool member of Rotary. We do a lot of great work in our community and in the greater world and I'm proud to be part of the group. For those of you who think Rotary is just a bunch of old guys sleeping through their lunch program every Tuesday, you would be in for a surprise. (Actually, only about 10% of our members fall asleep after lunch, depending on how good the speaker is.)

Rotary has a fabulous standard by which we test all the things we think, say and do. It's called The 4-Way Test and it goes like this:

"Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned? Will it build GOODWILL and better FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"

Now certainly, nobody is perfect. But Rotarians believe that if they hold to the standards of The 4-Way Test, our business dealings, our community service and our overall lives will benefit. It is from this model that my idea springs, although I've shortened the test from FOUR things to just ONE thing to make it easier to remember and apply.

So here's the idea. Government, at EVERY level, must ensure that every piece of legislation considered, every policy penned, every Bill read, must pass the One-Rule Test. And that One-Rule is....

HOW MANY PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS WILL THIS PROPOSAL CREATE OR SAVE?

See how simple that is? It's quick. It's easy to remember. It's easy to apply. If the answer is NONE, the proposal goes immediately to the shred box...Do Not Pass Go...Do Not Collect $200.

If the proposal does create private sector jobs, it can be considered and will be given more weight as the number of jobs it creates increases.

Imagine how efficient our State legislature could be if they weren't wasting time on proposals that do not create or save private sector jobs! Imagine how much more efficient our own City staff could be if they weren't chasing the whims of appointed commissioners looking for ways to make their mark on the community. Apply the simple One-Rule Test. If it's not going to create private sector jobs, it's not going to get done. Period.

I think that if our government would hold to this 'One Rule Test', our economy, our tax base and our overall lives would benefit.

Here's where I have to get serious and specific about this. It is critically important that folks fully understand what will get us ALL out of this mess. It's job creation in the private sector, pure and simple. Private sector jobs create wealth that in turn create taxes that in turn employ government and support social services.

Unfortunately far too much of what government proposes, while it sounds good on the surface and might make some people feel good, in reality does nothing more than suck more money out of private business, money that could be better spent to create more private sector jobs and in turn create more tax revenue.

So there you have it. The One-Rule Test. I think it's an idea whose time has come.

Looking for Art in all the wrong places...

2010-02-24T14:12:00.001-08:00

Chico is an artsy town, no doubt about it. Creativity abounds and we all love that. And while me may at times disagree about a particular piece of art (especially when it's public art), I think we do all agree that art in-and-of-itself makes the community a better place to live and do business. No argument there.

A lot of folks go the extra mile to make sure that Chico's art culture is well represented and we should appreciate their work. It's clearly impossible to make everyone happy all the time, especially when public funds are being used to create public works of art. But those folks do their best to present Chico in the a good light using public tax dollars collected through the RDA. (I don't have space here to explain how the RDA works, so if you really want to know call the City).

Many private property owners voluntarily include works of art in their new developments or remodels of existing property. We should be very appreciative of that as well. In fact the Enloe Hospital expansion project incorporates several art components into the project. We can't wait to see those finished!

The system is working well as it is, which is why the Chamber of Commerce is in strong opposition to the new proposal by a subcommittee of the City Art Commission that would REQUIRE private property developers to include public art equal to the value of 1% of the total project costs in their projects whenever total costs exceed $1,000,000.00. (Yes, that includes housing projects too). There is a caveat that if you don't really WANT art on your project, you can just pay the fee and let the City put some art somewhere else. We're not consoled by that caveat.

Well heck, it's only 1%, and it's only on really big projects...right? Besides, you can buy your way out of it, so what's the big deal?

This is a big deal folks, and it will take a few minutes to explain all the various downsides to this proposal, so bear with me with a bit.

Make no mistake about it, this is a new tax levied against property owners.

First and foremost we must understand that public art will NOT increase the value of a project from a financing point of view. It's lovely to look at but it will do nothing to increase the appraised value of the property. Commercial property values are determined by the income that can be derived from the property in the form of rents. Rents won't increase because you include a piece of public art on the building. (If you're building a million-dollar home, it may actually reduce the value because now any potential buyer has to love the bathroom tile and the statue in the front yard!)

Because the art won't increase the appraised value, the costs associated with creating and maintaining the artwork cannot be included in the financing of construction costs. That means this costs is a direct cash expense to the property owner, one that cannot be recovered through the cash flow generated by the project or through a future sale of the project. It's just another cash expense added to an already expensive project.

$1,000,000.00 doesn't buy as much development as it used to. In fact there are very few commercial projects that can be created for less than a cool million these days. Even at 1%, this added cost for art can be a significant barrier to a new project, one that most property owners can ill-afford.

Secondly, the program creates another level of bureaucracy that must be navigated in order to proceed with a new project or significant remodel. Trust me, that is the LAST thing anybody needs right now.

Jobs are created through private investment in our community, especially the private investment that occurs when property owners develop their property. This proposal is a significant disincentive to that investment.

It's a poor idea that comes at the worst of economic times. City government should be working to create an environment conducive to the private investment and job creation necessary for the long-term stability of our community. (Heck, all levels of government should be doing that but we'll concentrate on the City for now). This program works against those goals in a big way.

We'll be opposing this proposal when the issue comes up at the Commission level, and if necessary at the Council. We urge you to do the same.

Our message....."We like art...we like the system the way it works now...enough already with the added taxes...!"

"Good morning Caller...you're on the air"

2010-02-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

I've become one of those people. Yup...I phoned into a national radio program. Not because I wanted 15 seconds of fame, but because they asked a question that was intriguing. So I called in and talked to "Big D and Bubba".

The question was "If you could hook up your spouse to a lie-detector, what question would you ask"? Of course, they ruled-out a couple of questions that they didn't want to hear on the radio which would have resulted in way too much information, even from people you don't know.

Even so, some of the answers were just lame. So I called to give them my anonymous 2-cents worth. I told them that "I would ask how I could best make him happy every day for the rest of his life".

Now please understand...I'm no saint, and I'm certainly not a Stepford Wife. I'm just really practical. From my point of view couples that work to make each other happy stay married. Simple as that. And because I'm going to be working to make him happy, I want to make sure I'm not wasting my time on stuff he doesn't really care about. (There's that practical thing again.) It just makes sense to me that I find out what works and concentrate my efforts there.

I think most people would be much happier in ALL their relationships if they took that advice to heart. Work hard to make other people happy, and concentrate on the stuff that works. Sometimes that means you need to ask.

I feel the same way about my work. Businesses that choose to participate in the Chamber of Commerce have entered into a partnership (relationship) with us and it's important that we work hard to make them happy in that partnership. But how do I know what makes them happy?

It would be easy to do what we've always done and just call it "good". But like the answers I heard on the radio that morning, that seems pretty lame to me.

I would rather reach out and ask the questions. "What do you need?" "How can we help?" "What makes a difference to you and what doesn't?"

Particularly in these challenging economic times, nobody has the extra staff, money or energy to do things that don't really matter to the people you share relationships with. I know I don't.

So...I'll just keep asking. What is it we can do to make you happy every day?

Better Late Than Never

2010-01-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

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?

Disappointed and Concerned

2010-01-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

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.

Things We Value...Part III

2009-12-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

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?

Chamber Values Part Duex

2009-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

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.

Chamber Values

2009-10-26T17:01:00.001-07:00

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.....

Ode to Bear

2009-09-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

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.

Tonight on WWF Smackdown...Health Care Reform!

2009-08-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

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!

My husband is jealous of my GPS Man!

2009-07-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

Another marathon day come and gone. Monday was a blur...meeting, meeting, budgets, board of directors nominations, meeting, meeting, drive to SAC airport to pick up teenage units, drive to Sausalito to drop off teenage units, sleep 5 hours, drive home to get to work! My life is so glamorous!

My husband and I are polar-opposites when it comes to traveling. He attempts to beat his personal best time every time we travel anywhere....even if he' s never been to that destination before. I like to take my time. He likes to arrive early to everything, I'm more of a right-on-time kind of gal. Because he's an Eagle Scout (honestly), you can give him a compass and a map and he'll navigate the straightest, flattest, bestest, quickest way to anywhere. Me, not so much. He says that watching me read a map is like watching a monkey do a math problem. He's probably right.

So, what does a resourceful, forward-thinking, organized gal do when she is navigationally challenged? Get GPS navigation on my cell phone of course! It's one of the best purchases I've ever made. Seriously.

The first thing I did was reprogram the voice from the moderately bitchy female voice it came with to a smooth-talking male genre. Much easier to take, especially when it says "you missed the turn....recalculating route". Female voices simply cannot pull-off that comment without crossing over to the world of annoying.

I now discretely smile when my handsome hubby ignores Mr. Sexy GPS voice and gets us lost, or worse...takes a route that costs us precious milliseconds of travel time. Clearly, I am passive-aggressive because I enjoy watching him try to outsmart my phone.

Wouldn't it be great if someone would invent a new application for our smart phones to help us navigate the new economy? Think about it...no more missed turns...no more bad decisions...just point the device to "success" and follow the smooth-talking voice to the end of the rainbow. Magic!

Now that would be a big seller. But it's about as likely as sinking a hole-in-one on the day you win the Lotto, just before you get struck by lightening. Yup...that slim.

I don't have a smooth-talking navigator to direct success, but I do have a database chock full of successful business people right here in Chico, and I happen to know many of them are happy to help others find their own way to success. It's called the Chico Chamber of Commerce. Navigate your way to our office in Downtown Chico and check us out. We're waiting to help YOU!

In the meantime, I'm going to try to find and even sexier voice for my GPS system. Does anyone know how I can download Sean Connery's accent....?

How Many Rocket Scientists Does It Take....?

2009-07-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

So, by now we've all heard the story about how someone at NASA 'taped over' the 1969 Moon Landing of Apollo 11. Wow...can you imagine the 'walk-of-shame' that guy made on his way to his supervisors office to explain how one of the most important events in human history no longer exists? Man, what a moment THAT must have been.

Honestly. What could they have been thinking? They spend half-a-million dollars on a pair of space gloves, but they can't afford to send someone to Radio Shack to buy a dozen blank tapes?

And what, exactly, was so darned important that they had to reuse a tape that contained footage of something of that magnitude? Were we creating history somewhere else in the world, or was there just a really great episode of The Monkeys on TV? I was a big fan of Davey Jones too, but good God man...use some common sense!!

I'm poking fun at someone I don't even know, which certainly isn't very gracious of me. In my defense, I'm just trying to find the humor in everything these days. I have to admit that my husband and I did have a good belly-laugh over this, though.

I wrote last week that I was concerned about the level of down-right anger there is out there. Could be the heat, could be the economy, but whatever it is I have vowed to put an end to it in my little corner of the world. I will continue to look for the funny side of whatever happens (unless it truly is a human tradgedy of course).

I will start by laughing at myself, often, and stop taking myself so seriously. Because truthfully, on the larger scale I'm not important enough to most people to be taken seriously anyway. I can always laugh at (and more importantly, with) my husband. Many people who know him don't realize that he is a truly funny guy with a dry sense of humor that can buckle my knees most days.

I probably won't laugh at my teenage daughters very often. As I've written before...they are seventeen-year-old high school seniors, and therefore have no discernible sense of humor. Most particularly when the humor is directed at them by an adult. Simply NOT funny!

I can laugh at my son, though. He's hysterical. If he weren't such a great firefighter he'd be a decent stand-up comedian.

Luckily, the folks that work at the Chamber all possess a jolly sense of humor. We laugh at each other all the time, and everyone takes it in stride. I usually laugh with and at Alice. She's a hoot...and tells us she is a self-proclaimed Bridget Jones. I would PAY to read her diary!

So, this post is going nowhere fast. I think I should just end by asking everyone to LIGHTEN UP FOR HEAVENS SAKE! Life's funny...find a laugh in it. When you're laughing, it's virtually impossible to be annoyed...let alone angry!

Now I'm off to Radio Shack to order a box of blank tape for NASA. They can use it to record new episodes of Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Temperature vs. Temper

2009-07-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

Wow...it got really hot really fast. No big surprise. It's summer in NorCal. But I swear, as long as I've lived here (every one of my 49 years), I will never fall in love with the hot, hot weather. Anywhere below 95 degrees is tolerable, above that it's just sweaty, and not in a good way.

The heat makes a lot of folks cranky. No wonder. Your feet burn on the sidewalk, your legs stick to the seat of your car, your hair gets matted down and your clothes feel like lead. It's not pretty. But it's still no good reason to behave like an uncivilized boob!

I'm concerned by the level of anger I feel in the atmosphere lately. It might have something to do with the heat, tempers seem to rise with the temperature. But I think it's just as likely due to the uncertainty in our economy. It seems to be downright fearful out there. People are wondering..."will I still have a job tomorrow?"..."will my business survive?"..."where can I turn for help?"..."why won't that idiot hurry up and get out of the sidewalk so I can get to my meeting on time?"...(oops, that's a story for another blog entry).

A couple of things are certain. The first is that things will continue to be UNcertain for a while. The second is that getting angry with others is NOT going to help.

I would like the Chamber to be an oasis from the anger and fear. A place where folks who are concerned about the future can pull together and give each other a lift. It seems counter-intuitive to me to be fiercely competitive in a market like this. Competitors should be dropping their guard and offering a hand up to others. It sounds corny but it's true..."United We Stand, Divided We..."well, I don't even want to say it out loud.

So if you're feeling like you're on your own out there, come by and see us. We want to give you a lift, point you in a different direction, network you with some folks that can help. We won't just whistle a happy tune and pretend "it's all good", we will try to help you find some real solutions to your real challenges. Don't get mad....get connected!!

My goal is to keep a lid on the fear and anger no matter how high the temperature rises. To be more tolerant and kind. To be helpful whenever I can to whomever I can. And to hope everyone else will do the same.

Random thought....."Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be GRACIOUS if it kills you!" (Elsie De Wolfe).

If we can be gracious under pressure (and in 103 degree heat), we can do any damned thing we set our minds to. Take THAT, you lousy economy!!

7-8-9

2009-07-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Is neglecting your blog a criminal offense yet? It might be soon...I heard yesterday you can be arrested for drinking alcohol before you nurse your baby. Of course, if you're not smart enough NOT to drink excessive alcohol while feeding Jr., maybe being arrested isn't your biggest worry. But I digress....

I have been neglecting my Blog and I feel just horrible about it. Well maybe not horrible, but certainly lazy. I took a week vacation and went to the mountains with my handsome hubby. We had kids coming and going throughout the week and we thoroughly enjoyed being out of the valley during the over-100-degrees-days.

Back to work now and ready to train our new Concierge Corps! I'm really excited about this new program. We have been able to add some needed hours to our Visitor Center operation by enlisting some of the dedicated volunteers that are part of our Chamber Ambassadors and Board of Directors. What a swell bunch of folks...honestly...these are salt-of-the-earth kinds of people!

When I initially put out the call for volunteers to help us staff on Saturdays to greet visitors and help them find their way around, I was fully prepared to twist some arms. Happily, but not surprisingly, that was completely unnecessary! I simply asked the question "who wants to help" and dozens of hands flew into the air. So...braid my hair and call me Pollyanna...I think this idea is going to work. You have got to just LOVE Chico!

The summer is upon us although you can hardly tell by the "Chamber of Commerce Weather" we're enjoying. Tell all your out-of-town friends that if they don't visit Chico this summer, they're INSANE! It's so lovely here and there is SO MUCH TO DO! How much, you ask? Well come on down to the Chamber office and pick up one of our brand new "StayCation Central" itinerary brochures. It will give you all the tips you need to have a great time in-and-around Chico while you help bolster the local economy. If you come by on Saturday, you can say hello to one of our Concierge Corps!

On my honor, I will try, to do my best to not neglect my Blog. Especially on such a significant day as this. Today is 7-8-9.

What were you doing today at 12:34.56 PM on 07-08-09? (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9).

I was celebrating the arrival of my grand-nieces, Isabella Grace and Emma Rose, born at 12:20 this afternoon and tipping the scales at over 6 pounds each! Yep...you can call me Great-Auntie Jo. My niece Morgan did a stellar job delivering her two little beauties. Nicely done sweetheart, and welcome to the world you little angels!

Stay-cation Central

2009-05-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

May is almost over, and I'm taken aback by that! This year seems to be whizzing by at breakneck speed! CSUC graduation is over, high school graduation is on the horizon, and my term as Rotary President is quickly coming to a close. (Probably can't come fast enough for the rest of the Club....they've GOT to be tired of ME by now!)

The economic news in California just won't seem to get better. No matter how much I wish for it, or how many new pairs of pretty shoes I buy to try to stimulate a sluggish retail sector, it just seems to want to plug along at its own pace. So heck...let's look at the bright side anyway!

Ever heard of the word "stay-cation"? It's a new term that's been bantered about lately. Simply put.... it means staying put. Spending your vacation time in your own backyard.

I'll tell you what...those can be some of the most relaxing days ever! No airport terminals, no baggage claims, no humorless armed guard poking through your personals in your carry-on trying to determine exactly what that tube of "Preparation H" is for. (It's for undereye wrinkles, I swear to God! Look it up in Glamour Magazine!)

A "stay-cation" will save you money! Let's face it, travel expenses are way too high! But there is an economic bright-side to a "stay-cation". The money you DO spend will be spent locally, and that's a really, really GOOD thing!

And think about it. How much more relaxing would it be to plan a real vacation right here in Butte County? There is so much to do and see. Some of it you may not have experienced since you were a kid (or maybe not at all, which is just sort of sad).

Climb Feather Falls or visit Devil's Kitchen in Upper Bidwell Park. Go visit Bidwell Mansion and get a fresh taste of local history. (When I was a kid, we used to slide down the staircase banister. Please don't do that! We were naughty 4th graders, and we got in BIG trouble.)

Go to a matinee movie and then out for dinner at a lovely downtown restaurant. Finish the evening at a local ice cream shop.

Take a tour of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, then have a late lunch on their pub patio.

Take an early morning ride on as many bike paths as you can find. See how far you can get, and how many different ways you can get home. You'll be surprised what new things you'll see while you're enjoying the fresh air and exercise. When it gets hot, take a dip in the creek. Pack a picnic lunch and watch the kids explore our beautiful park.

Get a babysitter and spend a romantic night in a local hotel/motel. We have lots of lovely local lodging rooms in town that I bet you've never even seen!

Visit the many historic sites in Oroville. Drive up to the Centerville Museum and spend the afternoon at the Covered Bridge. Drive up to Paradise and check out their antique shops. A little further up the road is Sterling City, where they've got on of the cutest little churches you've ever seen.

I've told you a lot, but I've really only scratched the surface!

With so much to do, how do you decide? Simple....visit the Chamber of Commerce! We are "Stay-cation Central"! Come by and let us help you find an itinerary for your family "stay-cation". We've got maps, brochures, community event calendars....everything you need to actually PLAN a stay-near-home vacation for your family.

Remember...the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center isn't just for visitors! It's for YOU, too! Come on down and let's chat!

OMG...did that really happen?

2009-05-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just wish you could have a do-over. I wish we could buy do-over's like you do mulligans at a golf tournament. Buy as many as you need, keep them handy for when you need them. In my perfect "do-over friendly" world, you could use a do-over for just about anything. My sister could use one when she has filter-failure...as in "did I really say that out loud?".

Man, do I wish I would have had one available a few weeks ago. I write this story now, several weeks after the event, because I've tried in vain to suppress the memory and figure maybe I should just purge it instead. So here goes.

I'm a member of President Paul Zingg's Advisory Board at CSU-Chico. The Advisory Board funds special awards for Chico State students who excel at community service. We drop into the classroom unannounced and surprise the student with their award. It's really fun. At least it was until a fateful Tuesday in April.

I was in a hurry. No surprise, I'm almost always in a hurry. It was windy and cold that day, and I was late getting over to President Paul's office to meet the other members of the Board for the presentation. All the way over I was wondering how I would keep the dust and pollen out of my eyes and my wildly blowing hair from getting stuck in my lipstick. Little did I know, these would be the least of my problems that day.

I arrive out of breath in the President's office and thankfully had a few minutes to sit in his waiting room with other Board members while we waited for Paul to finish a phone call. Shortly he joined us and we began our walking journey clear across campus to the building housing the Construction Management classes. Again dust, pollen and lipstick laden hair kept my mind occupied as we trekked against the wind, hands thrust deeply in pockets to stay warm.

We arrive outside the classroom and meet up with several faculty members who want to witness the award. As a group with single purpose-of-mind, we flung open the doors to the classroom and marched to the front of the room. Staring up at us in surprise is a jam-packed room of construction management majors, mostly young men in their early 20's, eagerly waiting to hear why the University President and his entourage have crashed the classroom.

After introducing us, Paul reads the award announcement, and the honored student joins us in the front of the room for pictures. I'm feeling really good about being part of this ceremony, and at that moment am thinking "I'm so lucky to be here". We finish the ceremony and file outside to say our goodbye's before hoofing it the 4 blocks back to my office.

It is at this point, I have no idea why or how, that I realize the zipper of my black slacks is down. All the way down. NO, NO, NO, this didn't just happen! In the same instant I take stock....what color undies am I wearing today? OMG, say it isn't so...I realize they're white. Black slacks, white undies, zipper down, hands in pockets in front of a big group of people for pictures. Do-over...please God, let me have just one do-over.

Weeks have gone by and I've told this story to only two other people...Alice in my Chamber office, because we can laugh about anything together...and my husband, only because I'd rather he hear it from me first and he already knows I'm a dork.

These silly events can be a learning experience, however. I've learned to be much more forgiving in the last several years. Particularly in business, and particularly in Chico. As much as we all want to be perfect, everybody makes mistakes and this is still a relatively small town. How well we do in giving folks a do-over speaks much more loudly about our own character than anything else.

For instance, there was a period of time when the Chamber of Commerce was heavily involved in politics, including candidate endorsements. Not everybody loved this, in fact lots of folks were really upset about it and turned their backs on the Chamber of Commerce. It's not quite the same as standing in front of a group with your zipper down, but sometimes it feels the same.

If I could ask for one do-over for the Chamber, it would probably be on this issue. But I can't, so we'll just learn the lessons and move forward. But it bears repeating, often, that the Chamber of Commerce no longer participates in candidate endorsements. We focus on issues only and stay out of the personality of the candidates. Tell your friends. It's important that they know, too.

I know that the Chamber learned a few things from the experience, and we'll remember the lessons. My experience with the CSU-Chico President's Advisory Board taught me a few lessons as well.

First, slow down for goodness sake! Rushing is a mistake when you've got someplace important to be (especially if you're going to be in front of a crowd with your hands in your pockets). You should always make time for one last "mirror check".

Second, black undies with black slacks. No exceptions.

Third, don't kid yourself into thinking you're so important people will remember who you are, unless you've been standing in front of them with your zipper down.

Lastly, there really are no do-overs, so try not to picture these mistakes in your head, and for heaven's sake learn to laugh at your dorky self!

The Proof is in the Puddin'

2009-04-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well, another Business Showcase has come and gone. I will continue to be amazed by the extraordinary amount of work produced by the office staff of the Chamber. Organizing, managing, coordinating and pleasing almost 90 business exhibitors is an enormous task. It's almost like a circus coming to town, setting up the Big Top, unloading all the animals, putting on a big show, and then packing it all up the very same day. I get tired just watching all this activity.

I've heard the same question over and over for the last few days...."How did it go"?

My honest answer would have to be that I don't really know. There seemed to be a lot of positive energy in the room, folks were smiling and jovial, we stayed comfortably cool on a hot day, and the whole building literally buzzed with activity all day long. So....how DID it go?

The puddin' test on our success will be the feedback we get from exhibitors. After all, it's their day. We don't do this event because we love throwing up the Big Top and tearing it back down again. We do it because we think it's important for local businesses to support each other and Business Showcase has historically been an effective and efficient way to do that. Whether or not it was a successful, positive experience for participants that led to lots of leads for their business will be for them to decide. I truly hope they did find it a day well spent for their business. And if not, I hope they'll let me know how we can improve.

No rest for the weary! This weekend will be another buzz of activity around this gorgeous community, with even more people working together to make it a better place for everyone.

On Saturday the Chico Rotary Club, of which I am honored to be President, will participate in our 3rd Rotary-At-Work Day this fiscal year. Our 200+ members and their families will be out in force working on various community improvement projects. We start with a big celebration breakfast and then hit the streets with our tools, our funky orange vests and our smiles.

You might see us in Bidwell Park sprucing up the horse-shoe pits or painting the lifeguard towers at One-Mile pool. You might see us at McManus Elementary School refurbishing their track. You might see us at the Stansbury Home, at the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Park or at the Community Rummage Sale. But wherever you see us, please know that Rotarians are just a bunch of local business people who care enough about our neighbors to roll up our sleeves and Git 'r Done!

Later that day, I'll look forward to joining the Golden Valley Bank Relay For Life Team at PVHS. Like hundreds of other caring citizens, our team will be out walking in circles all day long to raise money for Cancer research. Honest-to-goodness, if you want (or need) inspiration in your life, go spend some time Saturday at Relay For Life. No matter how tired you are from a long week at work, you will be energized by the tremendous amount of love and compassion that engulfs this event. I guarantee you'll leave with spring in your step and a smile in your heart.

But since it's still Friday evening...I think I'll go home and open beer, throw the tennis ball for my dog, make a nice quiet dinner for my handsome hubby, and fall asleep on the couch watching TV. Ahhhhh....the life of a jet-set CEO!

Where is my "Mini-Me"?

2009-04-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Man...have you ever wished you were two people at once? You know, the meeting you're still in is running late and the meeting you should be at next is already underway? Don't you HATE when that happens? Those are the days I wish I had my own "Mini-Me" like Dr. Evil of Austin Powers fame.

That would be so awesome. I'd really love a "Mini-Me". (Well, maybe not THAT mini, but certainly a few 'lbs smaller would be excellent). I'd never miss a meeting again. Very cool.

I like to try to show up at every Chamber event we plan, but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. Like last Thursday night. There was a really great Chamber event planned at The Hotel Diamond and I knew it was going to be huge! Lots of folks there to celebrate being part of the Chamber of Commerce. And I was late...really late...like so late lots of folks had already left. Bummer.

It wasn't like I was just off screwing around somewhere. I was in an important meeting, with City Council folks, no less. We were there presenting our draft plans for proposal to run the Chico Visitor Center for another year. It's an interesting process.

Every organization, and even a few individuals, make a pitch for funding of specific projects aimed at boosting the economic health of the City. Ours is aimed at increasing Transient Occupancy Tax through tourism. We do that a couple of ways, including running the Visitor Center.

It's kind of interesting going through this process for the first time. I don't know that I've ever had to prove the value of my professional performance prior to delivering the promised result. It's sort of like an annual job interview, except it's for a job you've had for over 25 years, you have to do it publicly and anybody can weigh-in on your performance. Weird!

But I get it. The City is planning to again spend taxpayer money with the intent of improving our local economy and our quality of life. It's my tax money too, so I WANT them to be extra careful.

It can't be an easy job. There are very traditional activities that have always been funded on the public dime, and they are all very worthy. Unfortunately, nowadays the dime is only 9 cents. That means City staff and the Council need to find a way to cut back on the total cost of these activities, while trying to keep them all alive and well. No small job there. And no matter how you feel about the individuals making these decisions, you have to recognize that they are caring people, and this process can't be any easier for them than it is for those of us asking for funding.

All that aside, I have confidence in the process and in our ability to deliver the services the City wants and needs in a professional and cost-efficient manner. We're darned good at it, and our proposal this year includes cutting some non-essential activities, focusing on those that will make a real difference, and I project it will cost 4.5% less than last year. Not a huge drop, but it's heading in the right direction. I am very interested to see how this all turns out. And it will all be decided in just a few more weeks!

In the meantime, I need to get working on that "Mini-Me" thing, because it's shaping up to be a really busy Spring!

Hug a Fireman!

2009-04-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

Wow. Things are busy around here lately. We're pulling together our proposal for the City Council subcommittee requesting funding to continue operating the City Visitor's Center for another fiscal year. I'd really like to be able to revamp our website as well, separating "visitor" information from "member" information. It seems too cramped right now, and I have to admit I get tired of searching for what I need and sometimes just give up. Gotta get that fixed FAST!!

Business Showcase is coming up quickly, and we're happy to be bringing some fun speakers to the event this year to talk about "going GREEN". (Seems appropriate since Showcase falls on Earth Day!) We've got a couple of Hot Mama's who really know GREEN scheduled to speak. You won't want to miss it!

And if that wasn't enough, we're planning the Industrial BBQ for June 18. We're bringing back the concept of honoring a particular industry, and this year we've chosen Public Safety Personnel. It will be a lot of fun to honor our local heroes in the Police, Fire and Sheriff departments. It's important to me that we plan a patriotic, flag-wavin' fun party!! We need an opportunity to let our hair down and have some good ol' fashioned summer fun. At least I need it, so you'll all have to just suck it up and have some fun with me!

As before, we'll include a competitive cook-0ff, with local BBQ restaurants competing in the Professional division, and hopefully teams from the police, fire and sheriff departments competing in the "Backyard" division. Can you think of anything more fun than that?

So plan to come on out and join us that night to say "thanks a alot" to the folks who work hard to keep us safe. Hug yourself a cop....or maybe a fireman! (I do it all the time. He's 24 and his name is Casey Dietle. He's the best lookin' Cal-Fire dude in Butte County, and he just LOVES it when Mom embarrasses him like this!)

Speaking of kids....my friend Valerie Reddemann asked me if I punked my kids on April Fools Day. Honestly I didn't because Casey was working and our girls are 17-year old high school Juniors and therefore currently have no discernible sense of humor. However, if you punked your kids, or spouse, or bratty little sister, I'd love to hear about it! At this rate, April Fools Day will creep up on me again before I know it, and it always pays to plan ahead!

"Have a Good One"?

2009-03-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

How many times have you gone into retail/service/food establishment, conducted business, dined or shopped for what you needed, stood in line at the checkout to hand over your hard-earned cash, only to have the clerk/associate/teller/waiter hand over your receipt and say "Have a good one"? A good what for heavens sake? What kind of a lame acknowledgement of customers is that?

I'm probably going to show my age here, but I swear I remember a time when employees were consistently trained to say "thank you" after you'd paid for something. I know I didn't dream that...it was real. So what the heck happened? When did it become okay for employees to neglect thanking customers for their business?

Now, I'm not expert on customer relations but I have a lot of experience training and managing retail service staff. More importantly, I'm a customer of a lot of businesses in town. (Yep...I SHOP!) Some establishments have obviously taken the time and care to properly train their employees to be appropriately gracious with customers. I love to do business in those places. I feel great when I leave, even if my wallet is a little lighter. A good old-fashioned "thank you" goes a really long way with me.

Conversely, I get really annoyed when I've spent money in a place and all I get from the clerk is a receipt. No smile, no "thank you for coming in", sometimes not even eye-contact from the person I handed my money to. In short, no customer service at all.

This economy is making it really hard for business to remain profitable. With consumers making fewer purchases than in years past, everyone is competing for a smaller piece of the pie. No fun. So how do you make sure that consumers will choose your business over others to patronize? By making sure your employees give the very best service available. Set the bar really high, and help your staff reach that peak level of service.

The same thing applies to the Chamber of Commerce. After all, we are a service company too, and I'm committed to making sure we are providing the very highest quality of service to our members. No negotiating on that point. High quality service is what makes the expense of your membership worth it. If we're not doing that, I really want to know.

I think this economy is a good time to get back to basics. Concentrate on your company strengths. Focus on what you do really, really well. And make absolutely sure that one of the things you do really well is customer service. That's my plan for the Chamber.

And by the way, in case we haven't said it lately, THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS. We appreciate you.

"Community Schmoonity"

2009-03-03T16:07:00.000-08:00

Every time I turn around someone is waxing on about "community". Building Community. Protecting Community. Growing Community. The LOCAL Community....the GLOBAL Community..., blah, blah, blah.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of this place we call the community of Chico. I grew up here, my folks still live in the house I was raised in, my husband grew up here and our kids want to make their lives here. In short, I'm not dissing the place. I just think the word "community" tends to be overused as a touchstone.

I say that because I think there is something even more basic than community as a basis for our shared lives. For me it all boils down to relationships. Without personal relationships with those we live, work and play with, there is no community. It doesn't matter if you live in a great neighborhood near a great park in a great city that's part of the greatest country in the world. Without relationships you are not part of a community.

When I took over the job as CEO of the Chamber of Commerce I heard a lot of folks referring to 'the business community'. Historically this seems to be a label that is applied to companies that make up for-profit industry. Big mistake!

I think the term should apply to every person and every organization that helps makes this economy run. That means everyone...government, non-profits, service providers, manufacturers, sole-proprietors and publicly traded corporations. Anyone who works here has a connection to the business community in one way or another.

So how do we determine if we're really living as a business community? By thinking about the relationships we've built, or not built.

Things are different now. None of us have the luxury of sitting back and letting success roll over us. Our mere survival may very well depend on the relationships we've built and how hard we're willing to work on them. This is where the Chamber of Commerce can really shine.

I can't speak for the Chamber of the past, but today we are all about relationship building. That will be our primary objective going forward. Connecting people and building relationships. There is no higher purpose for this organization. We will define specific activities as we move forward but trust me, relationship building will be the undergirdings of every decision we make.

So from now on, even though I might say "community", I'll be thinking "relationships". Try it and see if it changes your perspective, too.

"MasterCard Marketing"

2009-02-24T15:48:00.000-08:00

New Neon "OPEN" Sign....$75.00

1000 Glossy Business Cards....$295.00

1/4 Page Print Ad....$695.00

Membership in the Chamber of Commerce.....PRICELESS!

It's true. Sometimes you DO get more than you pay for. I think membership in the Chamber is one of those times.

Oh sure, you can just stick to the basics when it comes to growing your business. Produce a bunch of flyers, pass out business cards, maybe even run some TV and radio spots. Nothing wrong with that strategy. In fact all of those activities are great ways to market your business.

But standard marketing isn't everything.

What if you bump into a problem that takes you completely by surprise? What if you have trouble getting a permit you need from a government agency? What if you want to connect with other business owners and pick their brains? What if you want to try to break into the new social networking scene? What if...What if...What if...?

Every business owner runs into an issue or two sometime in their career that stumps them. (Okay, maybe not Donald Trump, but most everybody else!) Where can you turn when this happens to you? How about your friends, associates, peers (and yes even competitors) within the broad umbrella of the Chamber of Commerce.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't have all the answers you'll ever need run and grow your business. But it's a pretty good bet that I know somebody who does! That's the beauty of a business association like the Chamber of Commerce. With over 950 members, we surely know somebody who can help you out. And the great thing is, most everybody DOES want to help. Especially now.

So what's the real benefit of Chamber membership? Building relationships with other business leaders who've "been there and done that". It's the relationship part that's priceless.....

"Can you recommend a good Ventriloquist?"

2009-02-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

"I need a ride to Texas. Do you know anybody going to Texas?"

"Do you know anybody who wants to buy a rusty hay crimper?"

"Where in Chico can I buys pants that have a crease that won't fall out?"

Uh.....What?

Seriously. These are some of the questions we've been asked over the years at the Chamber office. NO KIDDING! We've kept a list of the funny questions people phone in. It's hysterical!

What this really tells me though is there is a lot of confusion about what the Chamber of Commerce really does. So in case you don't know...here goes!

The Chamber is the collective voice of business in the community. We advocate on behalf of the business community at the City, County and State level. We're watching your back when it comes to business issues.

We share business news. We give members an opportunity to promote their own business. We plan events as networking opportunities. We offer training. And now....we BLOG!

It is somewhat challenging to lists all the things we do, but to sum it all up, we're here to help. If you have a particular need, and don't see it listed above (0ther than selling a hay crimper or renting a camel) give us a call. We'll help find a solution for you.

And to answer just two of the funky questions we've received over the years.....Robert E. Lee's Birthday is January 19, 1807, and NO, the Chico Airshow will not be at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. Hope that helps!

If you LOVE Friday's, shout YAHOO!

2009-02-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love the Friday before a holiday weekend? I do! That last minute push to get everything done that you really need to finish before you can cut looseand relax with your family is a real rush. These can be the most effective days of the entire month!

"Effective". That's one of my favorite words. I think it's so much more important than being "efficient". You can be "efficient" all day long, and still not do a single thing that is "effective". I'd much rather be "effective". You'll have more to show for it at the end of the day.

My goal is to move the Chamber more toward being truly effective for members. I'd really like to hear your ideas on how we can be effective for you! Post a comment, or give me a call. And in the meantime...have a fabulously long weekend!

Focus, Focus, Focus

2009-02-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

This will be another great day of information gathering as I host about 20 Chamber members (and former members) in two Focus Groups. So far the information I've gathered is quite interesting, some unexpected, but all very USEFUL!

My goal is to determine what we're doing well, what we're doing poorly, what we're not doing that we should be, and finally the ONE BIG THING...what is most important to business in this new economy.

This information will be used to move us forward in the direction that is relevant to our members and our community. I can't wait to see how it all shakes out. What an adventure!

2009-02-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

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Focusing on Members

2009-02-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

Things are changing all over. The Chamber is no different. We're taking a look at how we serve our members. What we're doing well, and what we're NOT doing well. It's an interesting journey of discovery.

I'm meeting with members every day, in just about every way imaginable. We meet in my office, their office, at lunch, at coffee, on the street and on the phone. Just about everyone has a story to share with me, and I appreciate every one of them! This feedback is the most efficient way for me to determine a direction for the Chamber in this new generation of leadership. Please keep the information coming!

Yep....things are changing around here. Thanks to all of you we're developing renewed focus on our members and volunteers. I can hardly wait to see what comes next, but I can guarantee it will revolve around YOU!

All About Our Members

2009-01-14T09:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Chico Chamber News, the latest blogspot for the Chico Chamber of Commerce. As the new President and CEO of the Chamber, I am dedicated to understanding the needs of our members and providing services that are relevant to YOU! Feel free to chime in and let me know your thoughts. Or, email me to take part in one of four upcoming Focus Groups I'll be holding with local business owners. Look forward to hearing from you!
JF