PRINCIPLES GOVERNING PUBLIC AFFAIRS, POLITICAL
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AT THE
SAINT PAUL AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Approved by the Chamber Economic Development Committee (March 2008)
Approved by the Chamber Public Affairs Committee (April 2008)
Approved by the Board of Directors (January 2009)
In order to promote the interests of its members, the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce is a committed advocate for business in the East Metro area:
• Advocating for business interests in the public arena,
• Engaging in appropriate political activities in support of those interests, and
• Playing a leading role in the field of economic development.
To further these aims, the Chamber and its Political Action Committee (PAC) operate in three external areas:
• Public Affairs which incorporates Chamber activities advocating business positions and perspectives relating to the formulation of public policy, consideration of specific legislation and/or the promulgation of regulations before public bodies at all levels of government.
• Political Activities which incorporate the appropriate activities of the Chamber and its PAC in the support and/or opposition to particular political candidates and issues.
• Economic Development which incorporates Chamber activities intended to encourage the accumulation of wealth through the creation and retention of jobs; attraction, expansion and retention of businesses, expansion of the tax base and and improvement of the business climate.
When taking positions on public policy issues or undertaking political or economic development activities and/or initiatives, the Chamber will utilize these principles:
1. Civic Involvement. We believe that individuals in the business community should be actively involved in the political and policy making processes of their community, region, state and nation.
2. Free Markets. We believe wealth is best created through the operation of a free marketplace which is increasingly global in nature. Free market operations presume a healthy respect for the roles of competition, supply and demand, profit, return on capital and the freedom to own and utilize one’s property.
We further believe that:
• Unreasonable interference with these forces tends to stifle economic development and wealth creation.
• The marketplace does a more efficient job of setting prices, establishing wages, determining rates of return and allocating resources than does any branch of any government.
• Over time, the marketplace will produce the best value – a combination of price, quality and service – for the customer, and
• It is unreasonable and unrealistic to expect that the marketplace will produce non-economic outcomes without sacrificing a measure of freedom and/or efficiency.
3. The rule of law. A clear set of laws governing economic activity is essential to the operation of a free market. However, legislative and rule-making processes should be clear, consistent and provide ample opportunity for input from the business community and laws governing economic activity should be reasonable, transparent and easily understandable. These laws should be applied fairly, evenly and impersonally. Arbitrary and capricious application of the law is
antithetical to democratic ideals and particularly discouraging to business.
4. Regulation of the Marketplace. The public’s health, safety and welfare require a reasonable level of regulation of marketplace activities. However, regulations which unreasonably restrict marketplace activity, are overly complicated, burdensome, or time-consuming, or attempt to direct economic activity in a manner contrary to prevailing economic forces will likely increase costs, stifle economic activity and drive investment elsewhere.
5. All businesses are equal. All businesses deserve to be treated equally. The marketplace does not distinguish between large and small, chain and independent, local or global, “big box” or “mom and pop” and neither should regulators.
6. Subsidies and Incentives. The use of subsidies should be limited to cases where there is a clear need for them due to unusual costs or other circumstances. Clear policies should be established to guide policy makers in determining which projects should and should not receive subsidy assistance. Public policy makers should also take into account that subsidies are sometimes required to pay the costs of doing business within an overly restrictive regulatory framework.
7. Infrastructure. State of the art infrastructure is essential to the conduct of business. Business depends upon well-maintained roads, transit facilities, sewers, water supplies, airports and waterways. High quality air, road and rail transportation and energy, information and telecommunication services are also essential to the conduct of business.
8. Transportation. An integrated and balanced transportation system that serves the entire metropolitan region is essential to maintaining our quality of life and our global competitiveness. Sound transportation policies should contribute to the economic development of both the east metro and metropolitan areas and enhance business’s ability to attract and retain employees while providing a variety of appropriate and efficient means for moving goods and people.
Funding for this system should be transparent and based on sound economics principles.
9. Equality of Opportunity. No one should be denied the opportunity of full enjoyment of the benefits of economic activity. We support reasonable efforts to help maximize equal access to economic opportunities and minimize the impacts of historic patterns of discrimination.
10. Environmental Sustainability. We support efforts to use energy efficiently, encourage sustainable alternative forms of energy, reward innovative processes and designs and otherwise prudently protect the natural environment. We are especially interested in encouraging market-based and market-derived means of reducing harmful emissions around the globe.
11. Sense of Place. Increasingly, economic growth is driven by factors that are man-made rather than circumstantial. These factors can enhance a sense of place and quality of life in a community. Public, private and natural amenities that attract “creative class” and other knowledge-based workers are increasingly important to maintaining community and regional competitiveness.
12. Education, Training and Workforce Development. Access to affordable, high quality education is essential to developing, building and maintaining a 21st century workforce. Educating all of our community’s children and providing life-long learning and training opportunities for employees are high priorities for the business community. However, we do not believe that this is a simple matter of increasing funding for education. Whether public or private,
educational institutions must be open to innovative ways of paying for educational services and delivering competitive educational results while partnering with business and/or business advocates.