Redondo Beach Chamber Urges Action On November 4th Ballot
The Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau
urges you to vote November 4, 2008. The Chamber wants you to
understand that the issues on the ballot will have an
impact on our local business community.
“The Chamber took positions on several local and statewide
issue so
our business community understands their impact to our local
economy,” stated
Marna Smeltzer, President and CEO of the Redondo Beach
Chamber. “Our positions align with our policy platform for
the year which allows us take positions on issues that
impact our business community,” Smeltzer continued.
“The issues on the November ballot will directly
impact the Redondo Beach business community,” stated Charles
Gale, Jr., Chair of the Chamber’s Government Relations
Council. “Our business community must understand the direct
impact and look to the Chamber’s recommendations as a
guide,” continued Gale.
Measure DD -
City of Redondo Beach Land Use Changes
Redondo Beach
Chamber Position: OPPOSE
Measure DD will place our city and its citizens in jeopardy
and directly threaten our property values and quality of
life. Measure DD would require that land-use changes, after
attaining Planning Commission and City Council approval, be
subjected to a city-wide election. Given that the current
process for approval is lengthy and requires a fair amount
of investment by the developer, adding an additional step of
an election will mean that developers will not come to
Redondo Beach and will take their business to other cities.
The result is that Redondo Beach and its economy will fall
further and further behind our neighbors.
Join the Redondo Beach Chamber,
the Daily Breeze, the Redondo Beach Teamsters, the
Redondo Beach Police Officers Association, the Redondo Beach
Firefighters Association, the Redondo Beach Teachers
Association, the Redondo Beach School District Board
Members, the Redondo Beach City Council Members and South
Bay Association of Realtors in opposing Measure DD.
Measure R -
Los Angeles County Traffic Relief & High Speed Rail Redondo
Beach Chamber Position: SUPPORT
Measure R is a half-cent sales tax increase to fund vitally
needed transportation projects such as synchronized traffic
signals; repair potholes; extend light rail with airport
connections; improve freeway traffic flow; keep senior /
student / disabled fares low; provide clean-fuel
buses; expand subway & Metrolink. Over 30 years, it is
projected to
generate $40 billion for congestion relief projects.
Proposition 7 would require all utilities, both private and
public, to generate 20 percent of their power from renewable
energy by 2010 and set benchmarks for all utilities to
generate their power from renewable energy at 40 percent by
2020 and 50 percent by 2025.
The Chamber believes in renewable energy and enacting
practical applications in order to make the region and state
less dependent on nonrenewable energy. Unfortunately,
Proposition 7 is unreasonable as it sets unobtainable
benchmarks for private and public utilities to reach. This
will ultimately lead to higher costs, which will be passed
onto consumers in the form of higher rates.
Proposition 10 - Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable
Energy
Redondo Beach Chamber Position: OPPOSE
Proposition 10 allows the state to sell $5 billion in
general obligation bonds for various renewable energy and
alternative fuels. It also creates an incentive voucher
program for companies who own large fleets to purchase
alternative fuel vehicles.
Proposition 10 would create a financial incentive program
for only one type of alternative fuel. This would not allow
for fair competition of tax payer dollars for other
alternative fuels, which may lead to greener practices.
Proposition 11 – Redistricting
Redondo Beach Chamber Position: SUPPORT
Proposition 11 aims to eliminate conflict of interest in the
redistricting process by creating a 14-person citizen
redistricting commission. It would create a politically
balanced commission: five democrats, five republicans and
four individuals who are not registered with one of the two
major parties. Commissioners would be chosen for their
impartiality, skills and to reflect our state’s demographic
and geographic diversity.
The Chamber has been an early supporter of Proposition 11
and believes this is the best way to eliminate the conflict
of interest when redrawing the district boundaries.
The Redondo Beach Chamber has “NO POSITION” on the
following propositions:
Proposition 1A – Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train
Bond Act
Proposition 2 - Standards for Confining Farm Animals
Proposition 3 - Children’s Hospital Bond Act. Grant Program
Proposition 4 - Parental Notification
Before Termination of Minor’s Pregnancy
Proposition 5 - Nonviolent Drug Offenses; Sentencing, Parole
and Rehabilitation
Proposition 6 - Police and Law Enforcement Funding; Criminal
Penalties and Laws
Proposition 8 - Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to
Marry
Proposition 9 - Criminal Justice System; Victims’ Rights;
Parole
Proposition 12 - Veterans’ Bond Act of 2008
The Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau
urges you to oppose Proposition 7 on the November ballot.
This Proposition wrongly claims to be a renewable energy
solution. Let me be clear: the Redondo Beach Chamber
believes renewable energy is needed and is an important part
of the future of how utilities can provide energy to their
consumers. Unfortunately, Proposition 7 is the wrong
approach and puts both public and investor-owned utilities
and their consumers at risk of higher costs.
Proposition 7 mandates a series of benchmarks for all public
utilities to meet as they generate their power from
renewable sources. The first benchmark, which private
utilities are already required to meet, requires all
utilities to generate 20 percent of their energy from
renewable sources by 2010. This current standard is already
troubling as some utilities see this threshold as
unrealistic and difficult to reach.
Furthermore, Proposition 7 lists benchmarks for all
utilities (both public and private) to generate their power
from renewable energy at 40 percent by 2020 and 50 percent
by 2025. This is a troubling notion. If utilities cannot
reach the first threshold by the required time, how are we
to expect them to reach the second and third? And what
happens when the utilities don’t reach the targeted number?
Fines and penalties can be leveled and who do you think will
pay for those?
There needs to be a realistic way of both cutting back on
energy consumption and looking for alternative means of
providing energy. Unrealistic expectations are wrong and are
a step backwards for a state that can become the world
leader in renewable energy creation. This is why there is a
very broad coalition opposing Proposition 7.
I urge you to join us in opposing Proposition 7 on the
November ballot.
Vote NO on
Measure DD this November and Save Redondo
By Marna
Smeltzer, President/CEO
As a valued community member, you and your commitment to
Redondo Beach and its economic vitality are very important.
That is why we are asking you to join the Redondo Beach
Chamber of Commerce in fighting Measure DD on the November
4, 2008 ballot.
Measure DD will place our city and its citizens in jeopardy
and directly threaten our property values and quality of
life. Measure DD would require that land-use changes, after
attaining Planning Commission and City Council approval, be
subjected to a city-wide election. Given that the current
process for approval is lengthy and requires a fair amount
of investment by the developer, adding an additional step of
an election will mean that developers will not come to
Redondo Beach and will take their business to other cities.
The result is that Redondo Beach and its economy will fall
further and further behind our neighbors.
We oppose Measure DD because it:
• Stifles investment in the city, which will directly strain
funding for critical services and lead to higher taxes
and/or cutbacks.
• Threatens police and fire services, now 60 percent of our
already strained budget.
• Drives away both small businesses and large employers in
aerospace and other high-paying industries.
• Prevents our school district from overcoming federal and
state budget shortfalls.
• Puts the fate of our city in the hands of the 15 percent
of voters who turn out for most elections.
• Mandates wasteful spending for constant elections on
land-use decisions.
• Micromanages city planning and calls for voters to make
complex, time-consuming decisions, which may not even impact
their neighborhoods.
• Creates an unworkable system where nothing gets done and
no one is held accountable - a recipe for decay, blight and
declining property values.
Measure DD's proponents are willing to sacrifice our safety,
our children's education and our city's solvency. They want
to dismantle our representative democracy and force us all
to become experts in city planning, zoning and environmental
impact studies.
We ask that you take a long look at the flawed nine-page
charter amendment known as Measure DD on www.SaveRedondo.com
and study the facts. We know that you will come to the same
conclusion we have: Measure DD will negatively impact our
future and lead to higher taxes, fees, and fewer services.
Please go to www.SaveRedondo.com and add your name to the
list of many of our civic leaders, teachers, first
responders and long-term residents who love Redondo Beach as
much as you do.
