For Immediate Release

Contact:
Scott Alevy
Vice President, Public Policy & Communications
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
(619) 544-1360

January 24, 2008


SAN DIEGO, CA – The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors took official positions on seven ballot initiatives at their first monthly meeting of the year on January 24, 2008.

The meeting, led by new Board Chair Phil Blair, addressed the ballot measures following a month-long vetting of the initiatives by the Chamber's public policy committees.

The Board voted to support Proposition 91, a measure that would change the California Constitution to ensure that funds earmarked for state and local transportation infrastructure improvements can be used only for those systems, and prohibit diverting of those funds to other non-transportation purposes.

The Board voted to oppose Proposition 92, which would mandate significantly increased funding levels for community colleges in the state. The Chamber strongly supports and values the important role of community colleges, however there were concerns for the ‘ballot box budgeting' and unfunded mandates that the initiative creates.

Proposition 93, the ballot measure addressing term limits for state legislators, was opposed by the Board of Directors. The initiative, which proposes to change the number of years legislators may serve, fails to address the important issue of redistricting reform.

Four ballot measures, Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97, individually address the Indian gaming compacts between the state of California and four Native American tribes located in San Diego and Riverside counties. Following presentations by proponents and opponents of the controversial ballot measures, the Chamber Board voted to support all four, which would ratify amendments to existing gaming compacts, including that of the Sycuan tribe in eastern San Diego County.

Founded in 1870, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit organization with the goal of promoting the business interests of its more than 3,000 member companies, while increasing the international region's prosperity.