| |
As the voice of the business
community, the Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce is vitally
interested in the community’s welfare and business climate.
Representing more than 500 businesses, associations and individuals,
the Chamber is influential in government affairs, economic development,
community service, marketing, tourism, and other issues such as transportation
and regulatory reform.
Government Affairs Resource Links
Government Affairs Archive (past
Chamber positions on issues and initiatives)
Is there a policy issue you would
like the Chamber to address?
The Chamber's Mission is to act on issues impacting the business
community. To effectively accomplish this mission, the Chamber has
developed
a process designed to enable objective evaluation and deliberation
of potential issues. Please download and fill out our Issues
Evaluation Request Form to provide the Chamber with
information regarding an issue you have identified for Chamber consideration.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS FORUMS:
Join us each Thursday morning for networking and breakfast for as
little as
$5.00 per person as early as 6:30AM, then at 7:30AM our speaker will
begin,
at Cottesmore of Life Care, located at 2909 14th Ave NW. For a listing
of the scheduled speakers, visit our ChamberGram
page.
This transportation letter was part of Chamber Day
in Olympia held on February 15th.
February 22, 2007
House of Representatives, 43rd Legislative
District, and Speaker of the House
Frank Chopp, Representative and Speaker
339C Legislative Building
PO Box 40600
Olympia WA 98504-0600
Dear Representative and Speaker Chopp:
On behalf of the Gig Harbor Peninsula
Area Chamber of Commerce, we are encouraging you to support Governor
Gregoire’s appropriation
of $10 million in her transportation budget for a reduction in tolls
on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge during its initial year of operation.
As you know, when the new bridge
opens, the existing bridge will be largely out of use while it is
retrofitted. The result will
be a toll while commuters have the use of only one bridge. This
fails
the test of basic fairness.
The Governor has provided $10 million
to enable some toll relief during this period of limited transportation
capacity. This money will also enable the Department of Transportation
to provide a discount for transponder users. The Department of
Transportation contends that 50 to 60 percent of bridge commuters
will need to use
a “Good to Go” pass to see a reduction in congestion.
Moreover, research from other states
indicates that transponders can dramatically reduce the costs of
toll collection. Providing this money can be a “win-win”.
The
Gig Harbor/Key Peninsula community recognizes that we will soon
face $2 billion in tolls. We recognize the benefits of paying for
the
smooth flow of goods and people across the bridge, and we know
the impact on businesses and families when traffic is brought to
a standstill.
But we also do not believe in paying a full toll when we will
not receive full benefit for the first year of the new bridge.
Our
community
is asking that you stand up for us and support the fair reduction
in tolls during the continued construction period.
Your support is very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Warren Zimmerman, President
Annette Crawford, 1st Vice President
Julie Q. Tappero, Business Economic Development VP
Joyce Taylor-Arledge, Public Policy Chair
Don Dennis, GA Chair
Kim D.E.D. Hails, Executive Director
,Addressed
and mailed to:
House of Representatives, 43rd Legislative District, and Speaker
of the House - Frank Chopp
House of Representatives, 41st Legislative District - Judy Clibborn
Senator, 3rd Legislative District and Majority Leader - Lisa Brown
Senator, 10th Legislative District - Mary Margaret Haugen
Copies were sent to:
Governor, Christine Gregoire
Senator, Tracey Eide
Senator, Harriet Spanel
Senator 26th District, Derek Kilmer
Rep. 26th District, Pat Lantz
Rep. 26th District, Larry Seaquest
The Gig Harbor/Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce represents
more than 500 businesses, associations and individuals.
Our Mission Statement:
The purpose of the Gig Harbor Peninsula
Area Chamber of Commerce is to take a strong leadership position
for business and community interests that create and maintain economic
opportunity and goodwill for our membership. As ratified October
2006
Our Vision Statement:
The Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce will be the community
leader in providing a vibrant economic base that creates good
jobs, a clean environment, and a desirable place to live. As
ratified
October 2005
The Gig Harbor/Peninsula Area Chamber
of Commerce Strategic Plan:
- Provide Tools And Services To Strengthen Member Business
- Enhance The Chamber’s Role In The Community
- Expand Economic Development
- Educate And Advocate Public Policy To Benefit Chamber Members
MAJOR Chamber Interests
and Concerns:
- Transportation
Washington’s transportation infrastructure is a vital aspect
of our state’s business climate. Washington ranks among
the worst in the nation for urban congestion. The Gig Harbor
Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce therefore supports:
- The Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of
Commerce is requesting the support of all Legislators for
the proposed $10,000,000.00 to assist in the buydown of the
tolls on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Project during the retrofit
period while we receive no appreciable improvements to traffic
flow.
In addition to the buydown, we will need to revenue to facilitate
the first year’s payments due to the delay in opening
the bridge traffic, which will negatively impact the toll collection
by over $3,000.000.00 per month. Without some help from the
legislature the toll account will be insufficient to fund the
first required payments on the bond retirement along with the
maintenance and operations costs.
- Use of the $5 million provided in the Job Development Fund
for infrastructure improvements at Gig Harbor North.
- Included with transportation solutions are other
infrastructure needs such as adequate water systems,
electricity, and
communications systems.
- Legislation to allocate a portion of transponder penalties
for Narrows Bridge Tolling Account as a means of reducing
tolls.
- Legislation to exempt the Narrows Bridge construction
project from sales tax.
- Equitable local, regional, and statewide solutions to our
transportation crisis that encourage our legislators to address
transportation issues in Pierce County.
The Chamber believes that to provide any relief to our transportation
problems, it is essential that all proposed solutions are consolidated
and coordinated to produce verifiable results. We feel strongly that
cost reductions/ savings MUST be a significant and measurable part
of any transportation finance package. Toward that end, we advocate
for:
- The establishment of simple, measurable and achievable benchmarks
and goals that drive all investment decisions regarding our
transportation system.
- Streamlining permit and regulatory requirements on critical projects.
- Resolving other infrastructure issues such as adequate water systems,
electricity, and communications systems.
- Priorities of Government
In August of 2002, Washington State initiated a "Priorities
of Government" (POG) budget process that used quantifiable
results as the basis for budget decision-making. Also known as
the “price of government”, this system-wide assessment
and evaluation of state services had several objectives. First,
it established a clear set of results that citizens may expect
from state government. Second, it reprioritized state spending
to focus on services that achieve those results. Third, it provided
lawmakers with a prioritization of government services, useful
in guiding budget decisions and communicating those decisions
to the public.
The POG process is a departure from traditional budget approaches
which focus on adjustments to existing spending levels. POG makes
it easier to consider the way state services are delivered, and
to make decisions that eliminate programs less essential to achieving
critical results. The POG process serves to develop a state budget,
which guarantees that the government buys only the services it
can afford. The POG system establishes a results-based hierarchy
of activities that achieves desired results based on available
resources.
The POG budget process:
- Establishes Governmental Priorities and Costs for use
in the development of state budgets.
- Restricts the transfer of money from dedicated funds
for reasons other than originally intended.
- Ensures a fiscally adequate state emergency reserve
fund to buffer the effects of poor economic times or other
financial emergencies.
- Makes the state accountable to the taxpayers for chosen
programs, through measurement tools, regular review, and
prioritization of services.
- Economic Development
Economic development for our community, region and state is vital
to each and every Chamber member. The Chamber strengthens our
local economy by providing networking opportunities, marketing,
healthcare and other benefits that support both new and existing
businesses. The Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce
advocates for:
- Increased marketing exposure of the state’s economy
and business climate.
- Washington Regulators must make certain to ensure that
local companies receive equal or better incentives than those
offered to out-of-state businesses.
- Improved workforce training systems that include increased
opportunities for post-secondary education and training.
- Enhancement of systems that move Washington products to
market.
- Tax incentives, controlled L&I premiums and streamlined
permitting, licensing and tax payment methods to lower the
costs of doing business in Washington.
- Education
The Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce believes that
a quality education system is vital to retain and attract good
businesses in our community.
The Chamber supports legislation that will:
- Ensure quality K-12 education and improve coordination
efforts between K-12 and higher education.
- Establish a system to reduce dropout rates, focus resources
and measure student performance and retention.
- Encourage counseling and guidance programs that address
student retention and adequately prepare graduating high
school students for collegiate studies as well as entrance
into the workforce.
- Ensure a commitment to improving mathematics education
and achievement.
- Support the Governor’s assertion that Washington
State needs 750 additional science and math teachers, by
creating a grant for a $10,000 bonus to math and science
teachers who pass their National Board of Professional Teaching
Standard Certification.
- Preserve and continue General Fund-State funding for higher
education.
- Support flexibility in setting tuition and financial aid
levels for the state’s research institutions.
- Allow for policies in tuition setting authority and grants
to ensure the recruitment and retention of Washington State
students in high demand programs.
- Allow for policies in tuition setting authority and grants
to ensure the recruitment and retention of Washington State
students in high demand programs.
- Other Opportunity Grants and other programs that ensure
access to continuing educational opportunities.
- Other Opportunity Grants and other programs that ensure
access to continuing educational opportunities.
- Healthcare
Health care costs continue to rise at paces far in excess of
inflation, causing many employers to either reduce the benefits
they provide to their employees, drop existing coverage, or
refrain from purchasing new coverage. The high costs of health
care coverage have a direct impact on the number of uninsured
in the state, and an expensive health care market makes Washington
unattractive to new and existing businesses that want to provide
good benefits for their employees. Exorbitant health care costs
erode the ability of the state to provide other vital services
without raising taxes.
The Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce supports education
that would make low cost and flexible health plans available.
Promoting consumer education and awareness of the cost of health
care is a priority. Support measures that encourage individuals
to seek non-emergency treatment at more cost-efficient primary
care centers, urgent care centers, and community health centers
rather than emergency departments. To effect positive change:
- Private and public entities should continue efforts to
address the major problems associated with rising health
care costs.
- Citizens should adopt healthier lifestyles and they should
be more aware of the costs and efficacy of their treatments.
- Government policies should be revised to reduce unnecessary
regulations, most particularly mandated benefits. Insurers
should be permitted to offer affordable basic health care
plans, free of many of these mandates, along with those that
may contain more options.
- The availability of consumer driven health plans, such
as Health Savings Accounts, should be expanded, allowing
employees greater control of and accountability for their
health care decisions.
- City, County and State Relationships
The Gig Harbor/Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes that
a strong, ongoing working relationship with City, County and State
Officials, Legislators and Agencies is critical to achieving the
Chamber’s goal to provide a vibrant economic base that creates
good jobs, a clean environment and a desirable place to live.
- Create effective communication systems.
- Keep an open dialogue with our legislators.
- Participate and/or partner in projects that not only benefit the
Chamber Membership but for the community as a whole.
Letter to Governor Christine
Gregoire
April 15, 2005
RE: A PLEA FOR EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING:
Dear Governor Gregoire:
The Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber
of Commerce, on behalf of its more than 500 corporate members, their
employees, and individual
members, urges you to pursue immediate changes to the current
funding
of major transportation infrastructure improvements that will
result in a more equitable funding approach; specifically the
proposed gas
tax allocation to the Alaskan Way viaduct and the 520 Bridge
projects.
Under the current funding regime,
half of the cost of the Alaskan Way viaduct and the 520 Bridge construction
projects are to be
funded by the proposed increased gas tax without any statutory
mandated
use of tolls. Yet the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is to be funded virtually
exclusively by user tolls. This imposes a disproportionate burden
on Pierce County motorists, and on Kitsap Peninsula commuters
specifically, who will bear the full brunt of the planned Tacoma
Narrows bridge
tolls. Such funding appears to be a flagrant violation of the
State constitutional requirement of "equal taxation."
We would support the increase in
gas tax only if the same percentage of gas tax revenue as allocated
to the Alaskan Way viaduct and
the 520 Bridge is applied to buy down the tolls on the Tacoma
Narrows Bridge project there by achieving parity. During your
gracious
visit
at the Chamber luncheon on March 25, 2005, you indicated, "tolling
is the future." Chamber members enthusiastically agree.
Now is the time to implement parity with respect to toll-funding
mechanisms
on users of all major state transportation infrastructure projects.
Washington can ill afford to perpetuate an inequitable transportation
funding system by increasing gas taxes that, in this case, obligates
Tacoma Narrows Bridge users to fund bridge construction through
tolls, but also requires them to fund non-tolled state transportation
projects
they may never use. Our transportation infrastructure is crucial
to improving our state's business climate. We support equitable
local, regional and statewide solutions to our transportation
crisis, and
encourage our legislators to support transportation equitable
issues in Pierce County.
We trust that you will intervene
to end this double jeopardy on Tacoma Narrows Bridge users, which
threatens Pierce and Kitsap
Counties'
fragile economies.
Sincerely,
Bob Draggoo, 2004-2005 President
Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce
SUMMARY OF ISSUE
The 2005 Legislative Session is well underway
in Olympia. The State of Washington faces an enormous budget deficit
and our legislators
have been charged to find solutions to our budget crisis. Washington
State’s current B&O tax rates are currently being examined.
Some legislators believe that a restructure of the state’s
tax system is a necessary step to a balanced budget. Many of the
proposals brought forward for discussion and consideration include
a substantial increase in the B&O tax rate charged to small
businesses.
RECOMMENDATION
The PPS recommends that the Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of
Commerce strongly urge our Legislators to adopt methods to solve
the current budget crisis that are not at the expense of the business
community. We ask that they examine ways to cut expenses in state
government including staffing, benefits and salaries. We endorse
performance audits that contain mandatory implementation of the
audit’s recommendations. We support the “Priorities
of Government” budget process as a basis for budget decision-making.
We ask that any increase in business taxes be a last resort. If
an increase in business tax is implemented, we ask that it be an
equitable and fair “across the board” increase that
isn’t targeted to specific groups or industries.
ANALYSIS
Washington is in the midst of a very fragile economic recovery. Employment
has just barely climbed back to pre-recession levels. Our Legislators
must continue to make the critical improvements necessary to support
economic recovery and promote future prosperity throughout the
state. It is absolutely essential that Washington State continue
to improve its business friendly environment in order to attract
and retain businesses.
Adopted this 15th day of March 2005.
The Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
The
Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce Strongly Supports
open debate on Tort Reform and further encourages the judicial committee
in each respective legislative body to allow open and honest debate.
Adopted this 21st day of December, 2004
The Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
|
|
