From the Really Bad Ideas file, consider what Tempe City Councilmembers David Schapira and Lauren Kuby are proposing to bring to their community: publicly funded political campaigns. Cities have a myriad of priorities before them, ranging from economic development to transportation to parks and recreation. Using public dollars to fund junk mail and robocalls should…
Read MoreIf there is one word to describe our recent Trade Mission Trip to Puerto Peñasco, it’s “opportunity”. They are on the precipice of many changes over the next several years. The city is known by many as a sleepy beach town, and it was obvious that it had been hard hit during the 2008 economic…
Read MoreFor the first time in two decades Arizona is being honest about what it takes to be job and college ready. Today’s unanimous vote by the state Board of Education to adopt assessment cut scores that accurately reflect grade level proficiency along the path to graduating college and emerging career-ready was the culmination of a…
Read MoreCongratulations to Debbie Johnson on her new role as director of the Arizona Office of Tourism. Governor Ducey announced yesterday that he would appoint Debbie to replace retiring director Sherry Henry. Debbie has been an active and invaluable member of the Chamber’s board for many years. She has served as the Chair of our Tourism Committee,…
Read MoreOur latest stop on the 2015 Road Show took us to Arizona’s Copper Corridor, where we had the opportunity to visit with the chambers of commerce in Superior and Globe-Miami. Our conversations made clear that copper is commerce. The precious metal is one of the “Cs” of Arizona’s five Cs, so integral not only to…
Read MoreWe wrapped up the southern swing of our 2015 Arizona Road Show on Wednesday with a visit to Sierra Vista, home of the Army’s Fort Huachuca. These stops through Southern Arizona – including to Yuma, Tucson and Nogales – have given us real insight into the economic might that exists in this region. Much of…
Read MoreGreetings from Sierra Vista, where today we continue our Southern Arizona swing as part of our 2015 Arizona Road Show. Yesterday we were in Tucson and Nogales. I want to thank my friend Lea Marquez Peterson, the dynamic president and CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, for setting up a great business roundtable…
Read MoreThe Arizona Chamber’s second annual Summer Road Show rolled into Yuma last Friday for the first stop on this year’s trip around the state. I want to thank my friend John Courtis at the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce for putting together a great roundtable. A for Arizona Executive Director Lisa Graham Keegan and I…
Read MoreOne of the most important things going on in Arizona politics right now is something you may not even know about. Arizona’s Citizens Clean Election Commission (CCEC) is working hard to change state election laws by proposing new rules that would sweep countless businesses under its jurisdiction in unprecedented ways. The business community has already…
Read MoreThe World Trade Organization (WTO) is on the verge of agreeing to the first significant tariff-cutting deal in 18 years. For those of you who haven’t taken Econ 101, tariffs are BAD. They raise prices and make our economy inefficient, which leads to a dead weight loss. The agreement eliminates tariffs on many new technologies.…
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