Resignations follow California Chamber of Commerce's endorsement of Whitman

[mike r]

Source: Los Angeles Times

The president of the University of California and the chancellor of the California community college system have quit the California Chamber of Commerce board of directors after the group voted to endorse Republican Meg Whitman for governor.

The endorsement is the latest example of the state's largest business organization increasing its political profile.

Jack Scott, a former Democratic state senator from Pasadena who was appointed as community college chancellor by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, announced his resignation Friday in a letter to chamber President Allan Zaremberg after the endorsement vote. "I do not believe the board is using sound judgment by catapulting the California Chamber of Commerce into the center of a fierce political contest," Scott wrote. "…It is destructive to the chamber's core mission and the businesses it represents when it becomes a partisan operation."

UC President Mark G. Yudof suspended his membership last week in anticipation of the vote. "As the president of a public university, I cannot take sides in electoral politics," Yudof wrote in a letter to Zaremberg. "I must preserve my politically agnostic status."

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-whitman-chamber-20100905,0,7697644.story

[David__77]

1. Democratic and progressive-minded people must not be members.

That much should be clear. Being a member is tantamount to being a Republican donor.

[SkyDaddy7]

5. I would think the exact opposite!

The more progressive minded people the better!

[Downwinder]

6. In the Chamber of Commerce, normal persons have no say

when confronted with Corporate personhood.

[Iowa]

9. Progressives should not contribute money to right-wing organizations...

What you are suggesting is tantamount to saying that progressives should be dues-paying members of PNAC or the Heritage Foundation in an effort to impact their right-wing agendas.

[kiranon]

32. Agree. And, now Chambers are trying to set up business district taxing

entities that all businesses have to contribute to similar to redevelopment districts. These monies, I fear, will be used for PR purposes which the Chamber may interpret as supporting political candidates.

[Liberty Belle]

25. No, we should alll join. I belong to 5 Chambers and have made an influence here.

I convinced the biggest Chamber to invite a Dem Congressman to participate in a debate where in the past they've only ever had Republicans. It was an eye-opener for many members.

The San Diego Chamber voted the opposite of the state Chamber recently, opposing a ballot initiative backed by big oil companies by something like a 73-2 vote. They are conservative on most issues but not crazy.

I urge progressives to join the Chamber and get a seat on the legislative committees.

I also stopped another Chamber from invited only Republican officials to speak at a major event, and got them to at least invite some Dems (though unfortunately all were busy and couldn't come.)

Small business people need to learn that Democrats support them too. If you don't like the way a Chamber is voting, get friends to join and take it over, just as progressive Dems led by howard Dean have worked to take back the party from within; here in San Diego 65 Dean followers ran for postions with the party and became the majority almost overnight.

I would, however, convey my outrage at this vote to the CA Chamber if you are a member, and threaten to revoke membership if this endorsement is not revoked. They don't have to endorse Brown, but ought to remain neutral if there is so much dissension in their ranks.

[Downwinder]

26. Are any of your Chambers members of the California Chamber of Commerce?

I could not access a membership list on their web site.

[Liberty Belle]

27. Yes, all of them are.

I will be contacting our local Chamber presidents to urge that they NOT follow suit and endorse Whitman; I believe Chambers should stay neutral on candidate races, though I understand that as a business lobbying group they may take stances on individual bills that I may disagree with. I am pro-labor, which poses some conflicts. But if we don't have progressive people inside these groups they would do far worse. Often just one naysayer on a committee can prevent an endorsement.

[Downwinder]

29. Why don't they resign their memberships in the "California Chamber of Commerce?"

The local members are paying the Chambers, who in every case I have seen are controlled by State or National Corporations, to cut their economic throats. No wonder "Main Street" is dieing.

[shanti]

2. good for them!

they are right!

[Downwinder]

3. Does the California Chamber of Commerce receive any public funds?

i.e., Tourism funds from the State.

[wtmusic]

15. No cash, but they sold whatever soul they had for political favors from Ahnuld.

"California Chamber of Commerce funding Republican Attack Ads

The California Chamber of Commerce is apparently continuing its transition from a business association to a political lobbying organization for the Republican party. They are now funding vicious televised attack ads against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown, implying that he is somehow responsible now that “California’s lost one million jobs” and the fact that “we’re 200 billion dollars in debt”

The Chamber broke a tradition of non-partisanship dating back more than 100 years when it endorsed Schwarzenegger in the 2003 recall election. For this, they were rewarded handsomely by the Schwarzenegger administration and were given unprecedented access and influence over our State government, to the detriment of almost everyone else – especially small business. The “job killer” label they put on any legislation they didn’t like, for example, for many years virtually guaranteed a Schwarzenegger veto.

According to several news reports, complaints have now been filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission that say the Chamber didn’t even fund this ad through its own political action committee- since that would have been subject to disclosure regulations, and instead paid for it through their membership dues, to the tune of more than one million dollars! They also noted that Republican candidate Meg Whitman’s campaign manager, former Gov. Pete Wilson, is on the chamber’s board.

http://www.caltrade.com/news/california/california-politics/california-chamber-of-commerce-funding-republican-attack-ads/

[mrdmk]

34. old Pete "Fucking" Wilson, motherfucker!

This is the same asshole that deregulated the California energy market. Then throughout the so-called 2001 California energy crisis, sat there in the Bush Jr. White House and said the state needed more generating stations. Figures this jerk is up past his ass in this bullshit.

Headline: Campaign Manager Pete Wilson in Another Corruption Scam!

[lunatica]

4. Jerry Brown is a huge endorser of small businesses

He did his best to attract and support small businesses for Oakland and succeeded.

[w4rma]

7. Awesome! The Chamber has outed themselves. Now treat them as a GOP organization.

The Chamber is the enemy and Democrats need to cut off business with member businesses of the Chamber of Commerce. Businesses, even Republican owned ones, don't like being labeled as partisan. Force them all out of the Chamber of Commerce.

[Jakes Progress]

8. My father, a lifelong Democrat, is shuddering in his grave.

He served a term as president of the local Chamber. He would have resigned too.

I think a boycott of Chamber members is in line. I have called my local and gotten a list of businesses represented. I will call the businesses on Tuesday. .

[mod mom]

10. I assumed the Chamber had always had ties to the GOP.

[Jakes Progress]

19. My dad quelled his Democratic ardor

while he served in office. It is true that the business world is sort of republican saturated. But my dad could work with republicans, especially the ones from thirty years ago. But he knew that the purpose of the Chamber was supposed to be promoting business and not political or religious or fraternal causes. So he stuck to business. This tea-party take over of the venerable CofC, is only an indication of how stupid people can be.

[nyy1998]

14. Usually the local Chambers have no political affiliation.

From personal experience, I interned with my local one, and I know they had no serious political interest. Hell they even paid for the Mayor's State of the City speech even though some of my superiors disagreed with the Mayor on certain issues.

[tsuki]

11. Here, the COC calls for the boycott of all small businesses that are not

a member of the COC by the membership. Great group. And yes, the COC is affiliated to the national.

[Merlot]

22. Sounds like a protection racket...kinda like the mafia

pay your monthly "protection" dues, and your business wouldn't burn down or be ripped off.

Now the coc has updated it to a nice neat boycott.

They lost me at climate change...

[tsuki]

23. It is. Apparently, you can be reported for shopping with a non-member and

face sanctions. It is more enforceable among small business than larger businesses.

Several box stores will refer clients to me because I carry parts. Nothing happens to them, but two small business have gotten a "talking to" for referring clients to me rather than chamber members.

[Merlot]

24. Funny, just last night I watched "Godfather III"

it draws parallels between business and the mob. Best line is when Michael Corleone says (paraphrasing here): I worked so hard to "go straight" and the farther up the ladder I climbed, the more crooks I deal with.

And if anyone would know a criminal, it would be Michael Corleone.

[Duval]

12. Wish I could rec this x1,000!!!

[valerief]

13. K&R

:kick:

[ProudDad]

16. C of C's everywhere are part of the BIG problem

and contributors to the Long Emergency...

And they are now the conduit for corporate money in order to protect the corporations from exposure...

We are at the end of the cheap oil, capitalist era...

Power Down...

And for dog's sake don't give the capitalist crud any of your money or support...

[BrklynLiberal]

17. HAH! Since when has ANY Chamber of Commerce....NOT been political, conservatively political?

[alp227]

18. No surprise...chambers of commerce have always supported the "business friendly" GOP

even if that party blocked Obama's small business tax cut, and supply-side economics never really worked in America.

[SoapBox]

20. Pete Wilson? Is on the board? THAT Pete Wilson?

Pete Wilson? Former hack governor? And "co-chair" of NutMeg's campaign?

Barf...Vomit...Yuk.

ANY THING with Pete Wilson involved is BAD! To...the...last...drop!

Oh ya...Pete "I won't run for President...But now I'm running for President...I'm no longer running for President" Wilson.

Loser.

[UTUSN]

21. So, self-defeatingly for us, wingnuts will take all the empty slots. Real good. n/t

[kentestsgod]

28. I admire their integrity. but...

their leaving will only give the right wing more voices in the
CoC and less say by progressives and sane people,

[wial]

30. let's play rough

let's create a green technology progressive chamber that competes directly, and let's aggressively Boycott businesses associated with the old chamber. Why should republicans have money? they can't handle it. they've ruined the world. time they paid.

[jerseyjack]

31. Are they tax excempt?

Probably not. But if they are they should lose it.

[kiranon]

33. Agree.