By Hugh Anderson, Chairman, Government Affairs Committee
The 2009 Nevada State Legislative session is over and I am proud to report that the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce was successful in working to pass meaningful long-term reform and defeating anti-business legislation.
Significant portions of the Chamber's reform agenda include changes to public employees' retirement and benefits plans, and revisions that will bring more accountability and transparency to the collective bargaining process.
One of the key reasons for this record of success in these efforts is BizPAC, the fundraising mechanism for the Chamber's political action endeavors. BizPAC was instrumental in helping the Chamber support probusiness lawmakers, communicating the needs of the business community and laying the groundwork as we entered the Legislative session.
The purpose of BizPAC is to provide the financial resources necessary to
Let's be honest: effective advocacy takes money. It isn't enough to have a good position on important issues; the political reality is that it takes financial resources to ensure that pro-business candidates have enough money to win, that messages can be communicated to the general public, that awareness is raised on important issues that affect our economy, the business community, taxpayers and employees.
BizPAC gives Chamber members an edge in the public policy arena. Your investment in BizPAC allows the Chamber to aggressively advocate for government fiscal restraint and accountability on behalf of the business community. Through these efforts and BizPAC funds, the Chamber has saved businesses thousands of dollars by defeating anti-business bills. By investing in BizPAC, you pool your political financial resources with more than 1,000 fellow Chamber members to create a strong voice for business, amplifying the effectiveness of your political clout.
Consider your own time and resources - do you have the time and patience necessary to research all of the candidates about their positions on important business issues? Do you have the time and energy to read through legislation and contact lawmakers about all the issues that may impact your business? Do you have the time and financial resources to make a meaningful contribution to all the pro-business candidates that you would like to win elections?
Probably not. Thankfully, through your support of BizPAC, the Chamber does all of this for you. BizPAC allows the Chamber to be an influential, active organization that lawmakers must take seriously and counts on member support to achieve these efforts.
That is why I find contributing to BizPAC one of the most cost-effective investments that I make to protect my business.
The 2010 elections are just around the corner. With several State Assembly and Senate seats up for grabs, as well as the gubernatorial election, the Chamber needs to be proactive in rallying our resources to support pro-business candidates. There has never been a more important time for all of us to combine our resources and be involved.
I know that times are tough and that many members are cutting expenses. But now is not the time to cut back on your BizPAC contributions. In fact, now is the time to increase your investment, if possible. Our work is just beginning, and the Chamber and the business community are going to need to keep up our efforts if we are going to elect the probusiness, pro-job and pro-economy candidates that are essential to the future of our state.
Investing in BizPAC is simple. Visit www.lvchamber.com to contribute online or call the Chamber's Government Affairs department at 702.586.3815 to set up convenient automatic monthly deductions.
I encourage you to support BizPAC. The Chamber makes it easy to directly give through online contributions. Or you can add your BizPAC contribution to your membership payment.
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Phone: (702) 641-5822 Info Center (702) 735-1616 Fax: (702) 735-0406