Traverse City Area Chamber Of Commerce president Doug Luciani had a forum piece published in the Record Eagle a couple of Wednesdays ago. It was a one sided plea of support for the millage request to which the Record Eagle has not allowed a response.
“The Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce supports the Nov. 6 bond millage proposal sought by Traverse City Area Public Schools.”
And then stating disastrous consequence!
“But if the community doesn’t support the bond proposal, the buckets collecting rainwater will remain in places like the center hall at Eastern Elementary School.”
Which begs the voter to buy the new $10,000,000.00 car because there is a $8,000.00 flat tire.
A question must be asked, “when was the vote taken?” When did the membership convene to not only give approval for such a thing, but for the tens of thousands of dollars spent by the chamber in its signage, and mailings?
I suspect never.
In fact, its been going on for years. Great sums of financial leverage attracts a certain type of person to an organization, and it seems clear at least to me that the chamber has at least a couple of them in leadership positions. With access to capital and resources to move THEIR agendas forward; higher taxes, government ‘stimulus’, and Pollyanna exaggerations of need.
Feeling compelled to respond to the Luciani forum piece, I responded:
In the October 2nd Record Eagle forum, I was reminded why my wife Candy and I decided to leave the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce years ago.
It’s called a disconnect.
It was a disconnect with the business taxpayer when the MBT was crafted, and though the chamber held forums, they did not take a strong enough position against it.
Again, it was a disconnect with business owners who were busting their butts to stay afloat, seeing almost eager capitulation by the supposed business advocate with what was expected to be the new federal rule called “card check”. The chamber, instead of fighting it tooth and nail, offered classes at $25 a head to learn how to deal with it. Fortunately it was not adopted, but no thanks to our representative lobbying group.
For my wife and I, the final straw was a particular chamber dinner affair. Once a grand event with high class entertainment, it was reduced to a seminar, and the thousand dollar table our business had purchased to entertain clients and friends became empty before the show’s end. It was not just because we were embarrassed, but because of a lack of response by the CEO or the planner of the affair to our letters afterward, that we ended our membership.
Now, the chamber president presumes to speak for its membership, those businesses which pay the dues, and advocate increased costs on those dues payers. Doug Luciani is using the megaphone of the business community to DO HARM to that community.
Homeowners may pay additional ‘marginal’ amounts (still tough for those on fixed incomes) of $40-80 a year for the average residence, but business and commercial properties will be carrying the heaviest part of the burden for a $26,000,000.00 Performing Arts Center millage if passed. It is the very community which the chamber purports to represent, that will be hurt.
One of the problems often seen with such ‘visionary’ thinking as expressed by Luciani’s forum piece, is that along with all the benefits presumably gained, the absolute costs to provide those benefits are ignored or minimized. The disconnect between the two, however disappointing, comes as no surprise as the chamber for years has not been a business advocacy organization.
Further, In the 6th paragraph of his Forum piece, Mr Luciani would have us believe that unless $10 million per building (x3) is spent, there will be buckets catching rainwater at Eastern’s hallway. There’s no intermediate position. It’s all $10M (x3) or nothing!
Insulting the readers’ intelligence, (during a TCAPS slide show Sept 10, they specifically said $7000-8000 was recently spent to repair leaky roof at Eastern’s gym) and the disconnect is complete. They could spend $8000 per month for such repairs for the next 100 years ($8k X 12 X 100 = $9,600,000) before they incur nearly $10MM!
Which is the “false economizing” strategy? To local small businessmen who scrape to get by, this being-talked-down-to is a yet another slap in the face. Get real.
I wonder how long local business will simply write those overpriced checks to a chamber which has an inflated sense of self worth, disregard for the struggling small business in its ranks, and a disconnect usually associated with pompous politicos? While there may be several chamber members who directly benefit as crony capitalism rewards those favored by TCAPS board members and chamber leadership, the majority of business owners I have spoken to are not in favor of the millage because of the obvious overreach.
The next round of dues collections may be quite revealing.
