Summer 2012 - Camarillo Chamber of Commerce

Alliance scores bigwith midterm electionBrendan HuffmanExecutive DirectorElection Night was a good one forthe Chambers of Commerce Alliance asvictories were scored with both endorsedcandidates and statewide ballot propositions.Much to many pundits’ surprise,Prop. 28 passed overwhelmingly and willadjust California’s legislative term limitslaw to permit legislators who have neverbeen elected before to serve up to 12years in either house or a combination ofboth. The Alliance endorsed Prop. 28 inthe hopes that it will create more focus onpolicymaking and less on campaigning.Not to be outdone, the apparent failureof Prop. 29 also turned a lot of heads.Backers of Prop. 29 sought to increasethe state’s tobacco tax by $1/pack to fundmore cancer research. Opponents, includingthe Chamber Alliance, responded thatProp. 29 represents more ballot box budgetingand relieson sin taxes to sustainitself, whichhave proven to beunreliable.As for candidates, the Chamber Alliancehad endorsed Congressional candidatesTony Strickland and Abel Maldonado,both of whom will advance to theNov. 6 ballot. Strickland will face AssemblywomanJulia Brownley, and Maldonadois challenging Rep. Lois Capps.Following the election, the ChamberAlliance endorsed Jeff Gorrell whois seeking a second term in the State Assembly.The Alliance also endorsed MikeStoker who finished well ahead of secondplace finisher Hannah-Beth Jackson.Both candidates will be on the Nov. 6 ballot.Rep. Buck McKeon, who is seekingreelection in his newly drawn district thatBusiness Advocacynow includes Simi Valley, was endorsedby the Alliance too.In other races, the Chamber Allianceis planning a candidate forum for AD 38candidates Edward Headington and ScottWilk as well as SD 27 candidates FranPavley and Todd Zink. Hopefully, thisforum will occur in Simi Valley in September.Brendan Huffman is the ExecutiveDirector for the Chambers of CommerceAlliance. For more information aboutthe Chamber Alliance, please visit www.ChamberAlliance.bizTips to Help You Communicatewith Your LegislatorThe following tips will help you communicatewith your legislators with ease.• Arrive on time. Legislators’ time isvery limited, especially at the statelevel.• Do not be intimidated. These legislatorsare in the business of representingthe public’s interest. They need tolearn more about your business andthe people who work for you.• Know your legislators. If you don’talready know your representatives,make it your business to get acquainted.You should know about issues thatare important to them. Do you livein their district? Does your companyhave a facility there? What are theircommittee assignments? What positionhave they taken on your issue inthe past?• Be a resource. Legislators are expectedto be experts on every issue. However,they rely on you, their audience, toprovide that information. Be preparedto answer questions regarding key issues.Your credibility will increase ifyou provide useful answers.• Show your expertise. Yes, the legislatorwill want to know all about an issuefrom you. That is because you arethe expert on your business, your issueand how it affects the legislator. Legislatorswant to do what’s best for theirconstituents.• Avoid false promises. If you don’tknow the answer, make sure to asksomeone who does. Nothing is worsethan providing inaccurate information.Let them know you will follow upwith their inquiry and do it ASAP. Thequick response will get their attentionand gain their respect. However, falsepromises could really ruin your reputationand credibility.• Listen, and always say “Thank you.”Listen to what the legislator has to say,even if you don’t agree with what heor she is saying. You can state factsto back your stance, but don’t argue.Thank the legislator for taking thetime to talk to you. Someone will befollowing up with a thank you notefor his or her attendance; however, ifyou spent a fair amount of time with alegislator, it would be more personal ifyou signed that letter or sent your own.• Addressing a legislator. Always addressthe legislator formally as “AssemblyMember ________ ” (Representativeor Delegate in some states)or “Senator ________.” If you knowthe legislator’s leadership position, bemore specific, as in “Majority Leader______, what a pleasure to see you.”• Keep it brief. The legislator is attendingyour function to meet and greetyour organization’s employees and/ormembers.• Be energetic. A good attitude and enthusiasmabout your business issueswill reflect in the legislator’s approachto you. Communication is predominatelynon-verbal, so a good smile andbody language will leave a resoundingimpression on the legislator.The Journal Summer 201231