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MyspaceThe Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce appears to have beat activists with MoveOn.Org to the punch. MoveOn activists were agitating to have the local Chamber withdraw from the National Chamber, which had incurred the wrath of MoveOn because of its vehement opposition to the health insurance reform plans now before the Senate. But before MoveOn could get a head of steam going, its activists discovered that the local Santa Barbara Chamber had already left the national organization.
Now MoveOn is urging its members to call the local chamber to thank it. To what extent the local chamber’s decision to leave the national had anything to do with the politics of health care reform is yet unclear. Chamber President Steve Cushman was not available for comment, and board chief Steve Amerikaner said he did not know.
MoveOn has criticised the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for launching a $100 million campaign against President Obama over health care reform, energy policy, and proposed new banking and lending regulations. Several local chambers have left the national organization in recent weeks, uneasy with the tone and tenor of the national business group’s political direction.
Paul Wellman
Steve Cushman
Santa Barbara Chamber leader Steve Cushman, a registered Democrat, is a fiscal conservative and social liberal. Perhaps the Chamber’s disassociation with the national branch should come as no surprise: During his recent bid for mayor, Cushman-who came in third in a field of five-was pilloried as a stalking horse for the Kremlin by the political action committee funded by Texas billionaire, housing developer, and part-time Santa Barbra resident Randall Van Wolfswinkel. Van Wolfswinkel supported Cushman’s rival, councilmember Dale Francisco. Van Wolfswinkel’s ads linking Cushman to the Kremlin were inspired by the $50,000 donation Cushman received from Russian billionaire banker Sergie Grishin, who owns several properties in Santa Barbara.
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Comments
A "well done" to the Chamber and Steve Cushman. Independence from the US C of C is a good decision, whatever the motivations.
IF health care was part of the decision, so much the better. Good health care ought to be a right of every American citizen, not a privilege for the affluent. Life ought not be a luxury, a commodity, or a means to increase profitability and shareholders' net worth. Your health should not be a factor in my profit margin.
The Aetna insurance company's CEO recently illustrated why the present system is so flawed with remarkable candor as he discussed purging over half a million policyholders:
"The pricing we put in place for 2009 turned out to not really be what we needed to achieve the results and margins that we had historically been delivering," said chairman and CEO Ron Williams. "We view 2010 as a repositioning year, a year that does not fully reflect the earnings potential of our business. Our pricing actions should have a noticeable effect beginning in the first quarter of 2010, with additional financial impact realized during the remaining three quarters of the year."
This is primitive thinking. Cavalierly weighing the health of citizens against "earnings potential" of a corporation whose first obligation is to increase value for shareholders is as unconscionable as it is honest. Weighing costs of delivering health against profits gained by withholding it when lives are in the balance is a sickness. Privatized health insurance might be part of the solution, but it is, by definition, not the whole solution, or the best solution.
Some things belong in the province of private business; and some belong within the commons. Some things are luxuries and discretionary choices while others are rights that members of a civilized state guarantee for each other. If the SB Chamber of Commerce gets that distinction, good on 'em.
anemonefish (anonymous profile)
December 6, 2009 at 10:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What about cavalierly weighing a citizen's "worth" in remaining life years... and rationing accordingly?
THAT'S change we need?
maximum (anonymous profile)
December 7, 2009 at 12:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"What about cavalierly weighing a citizen's "worth" in remaining life years... and rationing accordingly?
THAT'S change we need?"
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And just what is it that you think the HMOs and insurance companies are doing now ??
You might ask your friends if they have ever had a treatment rejected because it does not fit the conception of an HMO employee's bottom line....
SamRedDog (anonymous profile)
December 7, 2009 at 9:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
it is disgusting that an agency will spend $100 million on advertising and mis-information that could be used to much better ends. IF the founding members of this country were alive today, they'd be calling for revolution.
spacey (anonymous profile)
December 7, 2009 at 12:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Congratulations to Steve Cushman and the SB Chamber. Now the question is what about Goleta and Carpinteria? They're still members of the U.S. Chamber federation.
stevenb (anonymous profile)
December 8, 2009 at 6:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Van Wolfswinkel is not a "part-time Santa Barbra resident," but is a part time Montecito resident. There IS a difference....
at_large (anonymous profile)
December 11, 2009 at 8:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)