The following are the 2011 Policy Statements of the Government Affairs Committee as authorized by the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors:
Water Availability
Recognizing that a consistent and ample supply of clean water is essential to
the business, industrial and residential development of this area, the Shiawassee
Regional Chamber of Commerce supports a program of governmental collaboration in
the search of additional sources of water and planning for modifications to the
distribution systems to meet current and future needs.
We urge the local units of government, both users and suppliers of our local
water systems, to coordinate their efforts such that duplication of facilities is
avoided, service is provided to the region at reasonable cost, and future physical
plant needs are funded.
Job Growth & Business Recruitment
Recognizing that a healthy business economy will serve to encourage a pleasant
quality of life and a strong community, the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce
believes full employment, paying family supportive wage rates, is one of the most
obvious ways to improve the quality of life of our citizens.
We support legislation that encourages diverse business and industrial base to
locate in Michigan, such as (1) legislation controlling excessive and burdensome
taxes and, (2) legislation which provides incentives for business recruitment, retention
and expansion in our state and community.
We encourage the units of government to be aggressive in using local incentives
that have been provided through state and federal legislation.
Transportation
Recognizing that the economic well-being of the Shiawassee County business community
is highly dependent upon the ability to efficiently transport products and people
to, from, and within the region, the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce promotes
programs which improve transportation opportunities and facilities.
We encourage the development of passing lanes, capacity improvements, site corrections
and intersection improvements to the state highways within the county, such that
we efficiently connect all industrial and commercial areas to the interstate highway
system and to the businesses served by those interstates.
We encourage efforts to upgrade county and local streets/roads servicing industrial
areas to Class A, year-round status.
We encourage the development of service drives and traffic calming to reduce
traffic congestion in high traffic areas, such as East M-21.
Growth Management, Planning and Zoning
Recognizing that growth management and land use planning and zoning, when used
together, are one of the key tools to achieving a strong community with a pleasant
quality of life, the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce believes that planning
should result in a long term plan which reasonably considers both the needs of the
community and the resources available, and that zoning considerations reflect the
plan.
We encourage all adjacent units of government to create a collaborative, long
term regional land use plan that identifies targeted areas for residential, commercial,
agricultural and industrial growth.
We urge that a long range plan would then drive regional zoning and the development
of collaborative municipal services to support the plan.
We recommend that zoning ordinances be understood, fairly administered, and strictly
enforced. We believe the excessive granting of variances tends to erode the value
of zoning ordinances, and recommend they be used sparingly.
Healthcare
Recognizing that local, cost-effective healthcare provided to area businesses
and families is an essential element of successful business growth and a healthy
community, the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce supports an environment in
which healthcare remains affordable to employers and where our local independent
providers may thrive.
We support legislation which ensures that employers remain in control of the
choice of health insurance benefits they offer to employees.
We support the independence of our local healthcare facilities in that locally
managed and directed facilities provide services specifically tailored to the community’s
needs.
Communications & Technology Infrastructure
Recognizing that communication technology and the exchange of information is
vital to economic development now more than at any point in our history, the Shiawassee
Regional Chamber of Commerce believes that information technologies in the hands
of area businesses, schools, governments and families will serve to make our area
globally competitive.
We support community and private-sector efforts to build and deliver state of
the art information technologies and infrastructure throughout the county.
Intergovernmental Agreements
Recognizing the need for cooperation between units of government to promote economic
growth and the improvement of the quality of life for residents, the Shiawassee
Regional Chamber of Commerce believes that collaboration and improved relations
between Shiawassee County units of government are essential to bring about positive
change.
We support activities designed to foster collaborative action between county
units of government and encourage those units to act in cooperation.
We urge adjacent units of government to engage in collaborative planning, economic
development, and the creation of shared municipal services and contracts.
Education
Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce supports programs, processes, activities
and facilities that promote a strong local education system which, together with
business and community, prepares students for a productive role in the world.
We support creative solutions to improving operational efficiency.
We support cost effective improvements and modernization of our public school
buildings, technology infrastructure, and grounds.
We support legislation and programs that provide career awareness, exploration,
and experiences for all students through mechanisms and activities that involve
business, schools and community in partnerships that set direction and build support.
We support the availability of locally provided, post-secondary education and
training for area residents and customized education services to businesses.
Agricultural Advancement
Recognizing the economic importance of agriculture in Shiawassee County, and
the need to promote it as an industry, the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce
supports economic development projects that help raise the profitability of farming
operations.
We encourage legislation, programs, and projects that support alternative uses
for agricultural products.
We support farmland preservation efforts that balance the need for healthy growth
with maintaining our rural heritage and character.
Government Affairs
The Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce opposes using recall as the only
method for effecting political change.
We recognize that the right to recall elected officials is a constitutional right
and an important part of the democratic process intended to hold politicians accountable
for their work, and to remind them that they make decisions that affect an entire
state, city, or local community.
We recognize that the recall process was not designed to replace our representative
form of democracy, and recalls that can be initiated easily and for any reason undermine
the integrity of the original ballot box, giving way to special interests, personal
agendas, and single-issue politics.
We believe that citizens should also be accountable for the ways in which they
influence the democratic process to effect change, being first a part of the public
process by voicing an opinion and mobilizing grassroots support for a compelling
legitimate cause that has community-wide impact, moving to recall only as a last
resort.
We also believe that recalls are generally divisive, disruptive and expensive
for any community, and are an indicator of an unstable, non-collaborative and unfriendly
environment for economic development as well as for taking the risk to become a
public official.
Energy Policy
We support legislation that promotes improved energy independence for the United
States with the goals of preserving our security and improving our economy by keeping
the production, jobs and money in this country.
We encourage efforts that promote conservation and efficiency.
We encourage development of domestic alternative energy that can fill part of
the demand (wind, solar, hydro, wood, bio fuels, methane and others).
We support relaxed restrictions on domestic exploration and refining of oil.
We live in a global economy. We are imposing on the “protected environments” around
the world to harvest energy. The choice is that we can do it at home the best we
can, or can pay someone else to do it somewhere else.
We encourage the use of nuclear energy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.