JUNE 2013 – PRESIDENT’S ARTICLE BY DANEY BACHIU
June – the gateway to summer, children are out of school, vacations are being planned and I am half way through my presidency. Wow! How fast the time is going.
I like June. There is a feeling of joyful anticipation, a throwback I’m sure, to the last day of school. June temperatures are not yet the blistering heat of July and August. June 21st has the longest day light hours of the year. (California’s 8:30 PM dusk has nothing on Saskatchewan’s 10:00 PM). June 22 is also the Redlands Chamber of Commerce “Cruisin’ Cuisine”. We have 10 great restaurants ready to serve up a sampling of their finest cuisine. This event also affords you the opportunity to walk around our beautiful downtown area, something a lot of us don’t do too often. It is a wonderful way to share Redlands with out-of-town guest, family and friends. If gourmet eating and easy entertaining appeals to you, then Cruisin’ Cuisine is the event you won’t want to miss. Hurry and purchase your tickets before they are sold out!
If Paula Abdul’s song “What have you done for me lately” keeps running through your head, then you need to attend the Redlands Chamber of Commerce State of the Community Luncheon, June 19, 2013, at Orton Center, University of Redlands. Redlands Mayor, Pete Aguilar and his fellow Council Members will talk about what has been accomplished this last year and what they hope to accomplish in the future. There will be a question/answer period after the presentations. The luncheon is always a sellout, so get your tickets soon. Contact the Chamber office at 909-793-2546.
The Wall Street Journal reports “it is clear the Federal Govt. is not shrinking, but continuing to grow”. Instead of cutting jobs as threatened with any kind of budget cuts, the Federal Government is in the market for 27,000 employees with a median salary of $76,000 and one quarter of those jobs paying $110,000. The job postings include the critically needed bartenders, wait staff, Bowling Alley Managers and a Recreation Facilities Manager in Hawaii. (I think I will apply for this one.)
The Federal Government is clearly out of control and has no intention of listening to the voice of “We the People” or doing anything for the good of the country if it won’t get them re-elected. If state and federal government truly believe that small businesses are the backbone of America, why do they keep trying to break our backs?
So, what can we do? We can become VERY active and VERY vocal. Join your local chamber of commerce and become an active part of it. Make sure your chamber interacts with other chambers, as there is power in numbers. Make sure to flex that power at election time. Right now, call, write and email your elected representatives OFTEN. Question why they voted the way they did, in other words, MAKE THEM ACCOUNTABLE. From a National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) survey; 66% of Americans surveyed, think that small business exerts a positive influence on the way things are going in the country today. Of the 8 institutions evaluated only science and technology fared better with the remaining such as federal government and labor unions lagging badly.
Until next month, when things are really popping, enjoy your June.