CONTACTS: Linda Rozett/Eric Wohlschlegel
(202) 463-5682 / 888-249-NEWS

 

 

 

WASHINGTON, DC—The United States Chamber of Commerce today began an independent issue advocacy program to inform Californians of recent improvements in the state's business climate and the steps that must follow to create a more competitive economy.

 

“California is the world’s eighth largest economy and home to one in every eight American consumers,” said Chamber President and CEO Thomas Donohue. “Our nation cannot sustain its prosperity without a strong, job-producing California economy.”

 

The campaign’s centerpiece is a substantial, multi-week television advertising program on broadcast and cable outlets across California. The messages will be supported by a Web site (www.uschamber.com/ca) and a state-of-the-art e-mail program that will communicate with hundreds of thousands of businesses, organizations, and individuals.

 

 “The Golden State has come a long way since the days of record deficits and power blackouts. Since then, workers’ compensation has been reformed, trade has been expanded, and Governor Schwarzenegger has held the line on taxes. Californians are reaping the benefits with the creation of more than 400,000 new jobs and stronger economic growth, which now permit the state to embark on a major effort to rebuild and expand its infrastructure,” Donohue continued.

 

Chamber members across the country as well as in-state companies continue to express concerns about California’s economy and policies that threaten to hurt it. “Good, bad, or otherwise, what happens in California often spreads eastward to the rest of America. That’s why the U.S. Chamber is encouraging support for policies and forward-looking programs that will restore this trendsetting state to its full economic potential,” Donohue said.

 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations, including tens of thousands of California companies. Ninety-six percent of Chamber members are small businesses with 100 or fewer employees.

 

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The Chamber’s ad is available online:  www.uschamber.com/ca