Letter: Calif.-based chamber fires back

To the community,

Jason [Drew], this is one chamber president to another. My qualifications are 30 years as a board member, past president, accredited chamber exec ACE, past president of the 100 member Superior California Chamber Execs, graduate of the U.S. Chamber five-year institute for organization management, twice nominated for top chamber exec in the Western U.S. by the Western Association of Chamber Execs.

Duane Wallace

I point this out not for bragging, but to show that I know what I’m talking about. In 2000 the idea of chambers taking positions on ballot measures was discussed by the state leadership. The idea of endorsing candidates was strongly cautioned against.

After the merger-takeover in 2006 your chamber became very aggressive toward the California chamber and city politics. We actually received a letter promising to sue us if we didn’t keep having opinions different than your chamber — see First Amendment — yet we didn’t attack you. The actual number of the paid up members was 1,600. That was the number we based the merger upon. Now the number being touted is 600. Why? It could be the arrogant aggressive style adopted.

Who is attacking who? Did California raise tens of thousands of dollars to influence Nevada elections? Did Californians sue Nevadans over ballot measures? Did Facebook take down our Facebook site because it violated the bullying and hate speech policy?

My hope is that you hire a new exec that understands how to work in a small town.

As for California numbers, yes you are 70 percent California, but your PAC shows 70 percent Nevada resident money.

Jason, we locals, built this town while you were in college. We supported and agreed to pay for all the redevelopment. We agreed to half a million dollars transferred in property taxes from LTUSD and STPUD customers to pay the longterm debts. We, too, blindly followed the proponents who had bankruptcies and left us with black holes. We are cautious now. Not idiots or against progress, just experienced. The reason is that we see the same Nevada names on the 44-page 460 form that made us experienced.

I hope to meet with you this year to work on sharing our thoughts. In the mean time raising Nevada funds for slates to attack California candidates will be opposed.

Duane Wallace, South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce president