Strickland, Williams Share Legislative Outlook at Alliance Board Meeting
Legislators Brief Chamber Alliance on 2011 Goals
During the last board 2010 meeting of the Chambers of Commerce Alliance of the Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties, both State Senator Tony Strickland and Assemblyman Das Williams presented their thoughts on the challenges ahead as lawmakers begin to tackle a $29 billion budget deficit.
While praising Governor-elect Jerry Brown’s frugal tendencies and his outreach to Republican legislators, Sen. Strickland said that the best way to generate tax revenues is to improve California’s business climate. Assemblyman Williams expressed his interest in pursuing higher education as a way to grow the economy as UC Santa Barbara and other local universities produce many of the region’s business startups. Both legislators stressed the gravity of the budget deficit and its impact on California’s economy.
The Chamber Alliance also welcomed two new additions to its membership, the Simi Valley Chamber and the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber which are two of Ventura County’s largest chambers. Furthermore, US Bank is joining the Alliance as a Capitol Circle member.
After adopting a new Public Policy Platform for 2011, the Alliance board elected new officers including Suzanne Scar (Oxnard Chamber) as chair, Patrick Ellis (Moorpark Chamber) as vice-chair, Nancy Lindholm (Oxnard Chamber) as Treasurer, and Bill McFadyen (Goleta Valley Chamber) as Secretary. Kristen Amyx (Goleta Valley Chamber) will serve as immediate past chair.
Finally, Tom Kelley, who is retiring at the end of this year, was recognized for his impressive leadership of the Camarillo Chamber as well as his active involvement in the chamber of commerce community.
Looking ahead to 2011, the Chamber Alliance seeks to increase its presence in Sacramento by scheduling monthly advocacy trips to the Capitol throughout the legislative session.
For more information about the Chambers of Commerce Alliance, please visit our website at www.ChamberAlliance.biz. Input from the Alliance’s member chambers on legislative issues is encouraged.
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Above article from The Chambers of Commerce Alliance of Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties, which serves as a resource and effective advocacy partner for regional chambers that are interested in strengthening our communities' business climate through better policy making.
Posted on Friday, December 10, 2010 by Alliance
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