Governor Bentley, the North Jefferson area and Your Chamber of Commerce

“Communicate, Collaborate, Connect” said Charlotte Reach, incoming President of the Gardendale Chamber of Commerce and Vice President of First Commercial Bank in Gardendale.  It is important to begin with the end in mind and those words of challenge bring in to focus the requirement for success for our North Jefferson community as we begin 2012.  Adding strength to her words and those of her team, our Fultondale Chamber was pleased to have a presence of support at the noted visit by Governor Robert Bentley to our North Jefferson area where Reach accepted her new role as Gardendale Chamber President and contributed her comments. 

            The important role of a Chamber of Commerce took stage with the visit of Governor Bentley.  Bentley began by reminding the audience that he too, like a Chamber of Commerce, is a servant leader.  As a servant leader, Bentley thanked the support of small business and the critical role that business owners have played in jobs creation.  Bentley said, “After one year in office, I need to applaud YOU.  We now have 40,000 more people working here in Alabama.”  We have come through difficult times certainly, but, “with a continued Pro-Business Legislation and efforts with the Immigration Bill, …as well as addressing the education bureaucracy which has held us back, we will continue to create jobs,” said Bentley.

            Bentley shared that we should expect changes to our State budget in 2012 with respect to education, transportation and health.    He committed that money would not be taken from the classroom, and attention would be given to the 50% of funds that “doesn’t make it to the classroom now.”  Charter School efforts will move forward, because in his words, “the child is most important.”  Adding to the list will be efforts with road and bridge repair.  “We need to repair and preserve what we have now.  Toll roads may be an option to generate funds to accomplish this,” Bentley said.  And on health, he stated simply, “We are a fat State.”  Now don’t get offended Dear Reader, he is a doctor after all.  He challenged the group to make their dollars count.  “If you are going to spend money on healthcare, then make it count,” he said.  There is a need for Alabama to have measured results and a return on investment assessed for health outcomes.  He added, “It just costs less to be healthy.”

            Speaking of cost and funding, the General Fund is down 463 million from 2011.  The education budget looks good, but the General Fund, not so much.  As the economy grows, the tax collected will grow that General Fund, so it is critical to keep the embers of growth burning.  But in 2012, Bentley promised a real budget, and there are no Federal dollars to prop it up this year.  Governor Bentley told the audience that he is not a “caretaker” Governor.  “I want change,” he said, and added “I want us to get better.”  Governor Bentley called on the Chamber of Commerce and Small Business, as leaders in the community, to participate and be involved. 

            Getting involved with your business community through our Chamber of Commerce organizations is easy.  Not a member or involved just yet?  Then please mark your calendar for Thursday, February 9^th, 2012 for the next joint meeting of the Gardendale and Fultondale Chambers of Commerce as they co-host Mr. Moore Hallmark from the US Chamber of Commerce.  Hallmark is the Executive Director of the Southeastern Region and oversees the congressional and public affairs for eight southeastern states: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.  We will meet at the Gardendale Civic Center and all business owners, civic and community leaders from the entire North Jefferson area are encouraged to attend.  Moore will be presenting on the important role of the Chamber of Commerce at a local level, and what the Regional and Federal initiatives include. 

As we have asked in this column before, “Do you really know what good looks like?”  Initiatives such as the Alabama Community of Excellence as well as understanding accreditation requirements of the US Chamber of Commerce give credence, credibility and yes clout, to what your Chamber of Commerce can do for you and your business.  

Your Chamber, BCA, CCAA and The Partnership

We have written here about the strong work of the Business Council of Alabama as their members work to forward a pro-business agenda. BCA is Alabama’s leading business and industry advocate representing nearly three quarters of a million working Alabamians. BCA is able to accomplish this by its partnership with the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama. CCAA and her 124 Chambers of Commerce statewide represent over 60,000 local business owners. I think that you will agree that it makes sense to link up the premier state business advocacy group, BCA, with the richest source of motivated business leaders, the members of the state and local Chambers of Commerce or CCAA. This has been done, and it is known as The Partnership. You may be surprised to know that Alabama is the first in the nation to cultivate this unique partnership between the Chambers of Commerce and business advocacy leadership. What has been created through The Partnership is a highly visible, forcefully active team that works to drive legislation and encourage lively debate while ultimately working to light the candle of accountability on our representatives. And by the way it represents more than 1 Million working Alabamians.

I had the opportunity to attend a leadership event with BCA this week where President and CEO, Billy Canary, announced their publication What If No One Was Watching? This has grown from a summary booklet to a now published book available at your bookstore. The writers document the legislative process, and progress, for Alabama as it affects business. Bookmark the site www.bcatoday.org for timely updates on key legislative drivers that will affect your business. You will find today, right now, a clear explanation of the pro-business impact of decreasing the tax burden on business, the need for secret ballot voting in union elections, the need for education dollars to be spent in the classroom and to support charter schools, the need for tax credits to allow employers to provide health coverage for employees, and the need to implement climate change policy that will advantage Alabama and the Southeast at large for work force development. Pro-Business and high accountability, I sure am glad someone is watching. The bottom line, as stated by Mr. Canary is that “We believe the need to act comes as much because of our economic situation as despite it.” “Our mission is to stand tall for those who create jobs and opportunities for the people of our State,” said Canary.

There is a saying that “all politics is local,” and with organizations such as The Partnership this is made a reality. In the not to distant past most would view our government leaders as distant and removed from our daily concerns, and I believe this has led to the apathy and low participation in voter effort in the past. Now due in part to the speed of information via the internet and the significant human effort by organizations like BCA and CCAA through The Partnership, we now can feel that we are not just able to participate in the process, but eagerly sought out as contributors.

Why should you follow BCA and CCAA efforts? If you are a member of your local Chamber of Commerce then you are very likely already a member by extension of these two organizations. Ask your Chamber leadership to keep you up to date on the BCA legislative bulletins, meetings and events and plug in to this key support for Alabama business. Through this relationship with your Chamber you can sit at the table and have active participation in legislative business development that drives (or may hinder) your business.