| The Mission of the West Chicago Chamber of Commerce, in part states “…To engage the business, educational and governmental communities and seek to effect the policies and practices of these groups for the benefit of Chamber members and to improve the quality of life in West Chicago and the surrounding areas.”
As one can imagine, trying to keep up with the plethora of proposed legislation is to say the least challenging and at the most overwhelming. With healthcare, education and energy as the current administrations sacred trinity of initiatives, all the stops have been pulled out to advance the agenda; While all of these issues are of great importance it is unfortunate that writing and reading the actual proposed healthcare legislation was one of the frills that had to be abandoned by our legislators in order to expedite the process.
The Chamber is committed to serving our business members by keeping informed and voicing our concerns when provisions of, or an entire piece of legislation produces unfair, un-necessary or otherwise detrimental conditions or performance requirements on business. We strive to keep an opened mind and recognize that sometimes a local, regional or national issue will require sacrifice and/or support even when unpopular; therefore, we will do our best to provide links to a variety of websites that have additional information and positions. Furthermore, we will limit these to those that have a clearly stated rational for a position rather than simply an opinion.
Frustration can not be avoided: While we do seek to state facts, it is unavoidable that from time to time these facts will be submitted in a style that may indicate disapproval (as in the above statement of the current practices). It is a fact that neither the Senate nor Congress actually wrote the nearly 1000 page healthcare reform legislation that they were asked to vote on hours after receiving it. The issue at hand is not the details of the legislation or the fundamental differences between parties or other factions; we must trust that each of these elected officials has the intelligence and the integrity to do what they believe to be right. What is absolutely unacceptable is for any member of the general assembly to cast a vote for or against any piece of legislation (particularly one of such enormity and consequence) without knowing what it says. |
THE ISSUES:
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Employee Free Choice Act: commonly referred to as Card Check
The “ACT” is designed to facilitate the formation of unions in both government and private sector business. This piece of legislation eliminates the Secret Ballot necessary to form a union and the Chamber believes that it creates a very unhealthy environment for workers wishing to remain anonymous in their position and vote; Abuse and intimidation by unions seeking to expand are as well documented as the unfair tactics of employers that “bust” the efforts of employees attempts to have a greater voice and influence in the bargaining process through unionization. The act fails to recognize the current laws and the inability of government to enforce them; swinging the pendulum unfairly to the side of organized labor by eliminating the secret ballot is not the answer.
Listen to what other Organizations are saying:
Illinois Manufactures Association: Employee Free Choice Act
AFL-CIO: Employee Free Choice Act
Illinois Retail Merchants Association: Employee Free Choice Act
National Federation of Independent Businesses: Employee Free Choice Act
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Healthcare:
The fundamental belief that healthcare should be afforded to all American citizens is fair and reasonable by most peoples standards and the chamber supports the broad concept that the healthcare system needs a major overhaul.
Healthcare and Health Insurance seem to be used synonymously to describe those covered under a private insurance policy or government supported entitlement and those that do not have either of these types of coverage however, when we remove those that “choose” not to purchase health insurance, those that are aliens living in the country un-lawfully and those that qualify under existing programs but have failed to apply, the number drops significantly below the number being thrown around by politicians.
Another component of the original proposal was a “Public Option”, which the Chamber opposes. There are any number of reasons but the two primary objections are that Government has an unfair advantage over private sector business by being able (and universally willing) to underwrite losses by adding to the deficit or using the ability to raise taxes to cover costs. The other reason is the basic reality that government is the least efficient mechanism to deliver any product or service; and should only facilitate programs that have our national security as the primary objective.
Listen to what other organizations are saying:
US Chamber of Commerce: Healthcare
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Shareholder's Bill of Rights:
This sounds harmless enough, a way of giving shareholders a chance to have their concerns put to a vote. But in reality, Mr. Schumer’s bill would give union-backed shareholders who hold a small interest in a company—as little as 1% of the shares—enormous leverage to promote their own agendas. It would require companies to allow, and essentially pay for, unions and other activist shareholders to run a competing slate of board candidates.
Listen to what other organizations are saying:
Morrison & Foerster Law Firm
CNBC Video on Shareholder's Bill of Rights
U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Shareholders Bill of Rights
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Consumer Financial Protection Agency:
The Obama Administration's draft legislation for the Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009 was sent to the Congress on June 30, 2009. The proposed legislation would make sweeping changes to the way consumer financial products and services are regulated. The legislation would establish the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (the “Agency”), whose mission would be “to promote transparency, simplicity, fairness, accountability, and access in the market for consumer financial products or services.”
Listen to what other organizations are saying:
U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Consumer Financial Protection Agency
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International Foundation: U.S. Legislative Tracker
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans: You won’t believe it!
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Federal Highway and Transit Reauthorization
The time to enact a robust, six-year federal surface transportation program authorization is NOW! Please click here to view the letter that was sent to elected officials by President & CEO David J. Sabathne'. |
