Chamber View
Author: Connie Rodgers
Aug, 2009 Issue
North Bay residents have always prided themselves on being green. We cherish our open space, bike to work and drive more hybrid cars than virtually any other area in California. So what’s not to like about the Marin Energy Authority (MEA) and its Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) component, which supporters claim will increase the supply of renewable energy in Marin? How about financial risks to Marin County and its cities, dubious environmental benefits and political and bureaucratic empire building?
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Author: Kate King, ACE
Jun, 2008 Issue
Is it any wonder the average citizen doesn’t trust the government? Countless times, the public has been the victim of broken promises, delaying tactics, misinformation and frequent excuses. No, I’m not referring to elections and current candidates, I’m talking about a whole county being taken advantage of by our federal and state officials.
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Author: Kate King
Mar, 2007 Issue
Recently, I received a very humbling honor. I’ve been appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to be on the newly revitalized California Small Business Board. While I’m thrilled to be participating in helping to advise the governor at such a high level and on such important matters, it’s a little scary at the same time. Two of my responsibilities as a board member will be to (as taken from the California Corporations Code Section regarding this board and its functions) “help serve as legislative advocate and ombudsman for the state’s small business community…and to advise the governor, the director and the small business advocate regarding issues and programs affecting California’s small business community, including, but not limited to, business innovation and expansion, export financing, state procurement, management and technical assistance, venture capital, and financial assistance.” Sounds like it will be a challenging and interesting experience.
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Author: Tallia Hart
Jul, 2006 Issue
 Six years ago, in a discussion about what to do with the state’s budget windfall (created by a booming tech industry), California Governor Gray Davis said, “We must resist the siren song of permanent spending.”
He should have tattooed that mantra on his arm. Unfortunately for California, Davis abandoned his logic and spent the aforementioned windfall in the most harmful way possible—on recurring expenses. Davis and the legislature approved countless new programs we could afford that year (due to the one-time surplus) but not the next. The result was a structural deficit that we’re still paying for today.
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