Monday, October 9th, 2006...2:52 pm
Chamber of Commerce Endorses…and I Am Confused
The Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce has released its list of candidate endorsements. I’m a bit confused.
They endorsed Janet Napolitano, which is nice, but then they endorsed legislative candidates Gail Griffin, Dave Jorgenson and Al Melvin, whose raison d’etre, if their campaigns are to be believed, is to mess with Napolitano. The only thing I can figure is that the Chamber likes the pattern of poorly thought-out legislation getting passed then summarilly vetoed. I’m not sure how that is good for the Chamber’s members or the rest of the state for that matter.
This makes as much sense as if they endorsed, say, Len Munsil for governor and, I dunno, John Kromko and Molly McKasson for legislature.
I see no evidence that these candidates will support the sort of things the Chamber has been pushing for at the capitol. When it comes to things such as Rio Nuevo and support for the University, the Chamber has often had to lobby against elements of the Republican leadership to get the things that they feel will benefit Southern Arizona. Griffin, when she served in the house before, became notorious for voting with leadership over the needs of her district. For example, she voted for a raid on tobacco tax money that would have resulted in the closure of health clinics that served the rural communities of her district, but was a reliable vote when then-Speaker Jeff Groscost needed support for projects in his district. I see no evidence from the statements of Melvin and Jorgenson that their behavior will be any different up there.
One endorsement I found strange is the one for Bill Phillips. Well, yes, Phillips is exactly the sort of “Chamber of Commerce Republican” you would expect to find in any state in the union. However, the endorsement of Phillips was over Steve Farley, a man that has prided himself on his ability to work with the business community. This is what led to the criticism of Farley before the primary that he had “sold out” to them in the whole RTA vote (not a criticism I buy). It seems silly to endorse someone who is going to lose anyway over a someone who has demonstrated a willingness to reach out, even when it makes his liberal friends angry.
(Interestingly, one of the things that Farley brought up constantly during the primary is a change in property taxes that would benefit small buisiness. The audiences would glaze over at this, but you’d think the Chamber would care.)
The funny thing is, Farley will be elected. Should Jorgenson, Melvin and Griffin be elected (I hope not), who do you think the Chamber will go to when they want to lobby for some need for Southern Arizona? I have a feeling that it won’t be Jorgenson, Melvin or Griffin.
I can’t really complain too much. They did endorse my brother.
The chamber also endorsed Ron Drake over Raúl Grijalva. This puts Grijalva at a perfect record of 0-7 for Chamber endorsements in his races. He’s won everytime without them, so why start now?
They don’t endorse him, but they love those earmarks he gets for them.
They also endorsed Randy Graf. Randy Graf? See, liberal bozos like me always say you guys would endorse Benito Mussolini or Jean-Bédel Bokassa if he promised to cut taxes. This sort of thing just gives me more ammunition to say ridiculous things like that.
8 Comments
October 9th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
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October 9th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
Yeah…confuses me too. Sounds like they were afraid of scaring some of the their Republican membership on this one. I would be quite suprised if the business community members that I know want Graf over Giffords.
Giffords is reasonable and has had a good working relationship with business interests. She will work with them to create an infrastructure that supports economic growth without giving away the farm to do it.
I still can’t believe that businesses in S. Arizona want what Graf is peddling. I mean, realistically, Mexicans are a very large customer base for S. Arizona retail. In addition, the homes here are built with the help of illegal labor. I would bet that land development and home-building is our number one industry. How will they stand it if Graf walls off the border, cracks down on those that hire illegals, and that wants to deport their labor force?
Doesn’t sound like a smart endorsement to me…unless they believe that he REALLY won’t do any of that as a Congressman.
October 9th, 2006 at 7:57 pm
Wow, Tedski, someone posted something obnoxious enough to get the ax? Haven’t seen that in awhile. I’m sure it was deserved.
The endorsement that took me by surprise was before the primary when of the democratic contenders the Chamber chose Alex Rodriguez.
I don’t have the sense that the Chamber endorsements have much impact.
October 9th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
I got endorsed. What’s the problem?
October 9th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
If the question is addressed to me, not alleging there is a problem.
The endorsement of Alex Rodriguez surprised me. (Graf does too to some extent.)
Do you think the Chamber endorsements have much impact? You hold office. I don’t. Would respect your thoughts on the matter.
October 9th, 2006 at 9:45 pm
Tom, do you even have a Republican opponent?
October 10th, 2006 at 7:17 am
Actually, mine was a general comment.
That being said, I will respond to Mr. X4mr’s question. No, I don’t think that the Chamber’s endorsement has a lot of impact in the current political climate, except that it generates a bit of buzz. Given what happened in the recent Republican primaries, one might even stop to think that the Chamber’s endorsement is actually a negative among certain Republican constituencies.
I was actually a bit surprised by the Chamber’s endorsement, though I am happy to have it. I think that it, along with the Napolitano endorsement, may show a bit of a turning point for the business community as they start to set aside partisanship for the general good of the state. However, some of their other endorsements seem to show that at times they regard the Republican label as more important than anything else.
I have learned a lot about the endsorsement process over the last few months and sometimes it is a bit more complicated than it appears. Why, for instance was the Chamber willing to overlook my left-wingedness, but not Steve Farley’s? Why endorse an extremist like Gail Griffin, but not a fairly run-of-the mill conservative like Murchison? I suppose that much of this is situational.
One thing is clear, however, and that is that if the Chamber’s endorsements in LD 26 are elected that economic development in Pima County will be in serious trouble. Maybe then the business community will learn to stop putting all of their eggs in the Republican basket.
October 10th, 2006 at 4:51 pm
I also think that the way the candidates respond to the Chamber’s questions as well as interviews has something to do with it Tom.
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