As an organization dedicated to furthering the interest of local business, the Carlsbad Chamber's primary strategy is to serve as a strong voice for member businesses. As stated in its public policy guide, “It is at the heart of our mission to publicly support policies that will facilitate economic growth in our community.”
To accomplish this goal, the Chamber's leadership, staff, and Government Affairs Committee (GAC) act as a voice for business at the local, regional, state, and national level.
The infrastructure of our business economy is in many ways like our transportation infrastructure. We have constant activity on a number of levels operating simultaneously. In other words, Carlsbad is not an economic island. Carlsbad residents traverse the local business economy constantly in the same way they travel its local streets.
At the regional level, when desired products or services are not available locally, residents travel via arterial roads to neighboring communities for them. Conversely, the Carlsbad business economy benefits from neighboring communities, as their residents travel to Carlsbad for the same reasons. The same holds true at the state level, especially considering the hospitality sector of our local economy, as many consumers arrive via interstate freeways.
At the national level, people have shown they are willing to travel and essentially contribute to an out-of-state business economy for big-ticket items. Case in point would be my brother traveling from Las Vegas to San Juan Capistrano to buy the exact car he wanted.
Of course, I'd be remiss if I did not mention the international component of the Carlsbad business economy. The Internet allows Carlsbad businesses, small and large, to serve customers from all over the world as they travel the information highway.
As you can see, when it comes to our local business economy, there is a viable interdependent relationship that cannot be denied…or can it? Well, quite frankly, it can! Intended or not, erroneous legislation and draconian regulations can have a devastating impact on Carlsbad local businesses.
Legislation and regulation come from all levels of government — local, state, and national. The mission of the Carlsbad Chamber's GAC is to represent the interests of the business community in local, state and federal legislative issues and to communicate those interests to members, the community and elected officials. Primarily this Political Pulse column will serve this communications goal.
The GAC employs a variety of resources to accomplish its mission — one of which is the California Chamber (our statewide infrastructure component), which also helps to ensure economic recovery in California in myriad ways.
The California Chamber of Commerce is at the forefront of a broad, non-partisan effort to improve the climate for investment and job creation. California will eventually enjoy an economic recovery, but the strength and depth of our rebound — and the fiscal health of state and local governments — will depend upon making the state more competitive for job creation, new business formation and new capital investment.
The California Chamber has identified these five pillars of economic recovery:
• Reducing the regulatory and litigation costs of hiring new employees and keeping them on the job
• Ensuring certainty and stability of private investments in plants, equipment and technology, including a fair and predictable tax structure
• Investing in public works that provide the backbone for economic growth
• Providing a world-class education to prepare high school students for work or college, and supporting public colleges and universities in their student preparation and technology innovation missions
• Ensuring transparency and accountability at all levels of government, and fostering private enterprise and markets
Visit www.calchamber.com/GovernmentRelations/Pages/renew.aspx to read the plan.
To accomplish this goal, the Chamber's leadership, staff, and Government Affairs Committee (GAC) act as a voice for business at the local, regional, state, and national level.
The infrastructure of our business economy is in many ways like our transportation infrastructure. We have constant activity on a number of levels operating simultaneously. In other words, Carlsbad is not an economic island. Carlsbad residents traverse the local business economy constantly in the same way they travel its local streets.
At the regional level, when desired products or services are not available locally, residents travel via arterial roads to neighboring communities for them. Conversely, the Carlsbad business economy benefits from neighboring communities, as their residents travel to Carlsbad for the same reasons. The same holds true at the state level, especially considering the hospitality sector of our local economy, as many consumers arrive via interstate freeways.
At the national level, people have shown they are willing to travel and essentially contribute to an out-of-state business economy for big-ticket items. Case in point would be my brother traveling from Las Vegas to San Juan Capistrano to buy the exact car he wanted.
Of course, I'd be remiss if I did not mention the international component of the Carlsbad business economy. The Internet allows Carlsbad businesses, small and large, to serve customers from all over the world as they travel the information highway.
As you can see, when it comes to our local business economy, there is a viable interdependent relationship that cannot be denied…or can it? Well, quite frankly, it can! Intended or not, erroneous legislation and draconian regulations can have a devastating impact on Carlsbad local businesses.
Legislation and regulation come from all levels of government — local, state, and national. The mission of the Carlsbad Chamber's GAC is to represent the interests of the business community in local, state and federal legislative issues and to communicate those interests to members, the community and elected officials. Primarily this Political Pulse column will serve this communications goal.
The GAC employs a variety of resources to accomplish its mission — one of which is the California Chamber (our statewide infrastructure component), which also helps to ensure economic recovery in California in myriad ways.
The California Chamber of Commerce is at the forefront of a broad, non-partisan effort to improve the climate for investment and job creation. California will eventually enjoy an economic recovery, but the strength and depth of our rebound — and the fiscal health of state and local governments — will depend upon making the state more competitive for job creation, new business formation and new capital investment.
The California Chamber has identified these five pillars of economic recovery:
• Reducing the regulatory and litigation costs of hiring new employees and keeping them on the job
• Ensuring certainty and stability of private investments in plants, equipment and technology, including a fair and predictable tax structure
• Investing in public works that provide the backbone for economic growth
• Providing a world-class education to prepare high school students for work or college, and supporting public colleges and universities in their student preparation and technology innovation missions
• Ensuring transparency and accountability at all levels of government, and fostering private enterprise and markets
Visit www.calchamber.com/GovernmentRelations/Pages/renew.aspx to read the plan.