Curious about who made the decision to oppose Measure C, the Fresno County transportation tax on the Nov. 7 ballot? This list of directors is right off the Clovis Chamber of Commerce's Web site:

Executive Officers

Guss Annan, Chairman - Hungry Howie's Pizza
Alex Ott, Chairman elect - Ott & Davison Consulting
Steve Fenster, DVM, Immediate Past Chairman - Clovis Pet Hospital
Ed Prince, Vice-Chairman: Events - Performance Edge Marketing
Rodney McKinney, Vice-Chairman: Membership - Mac's Tires
Don Watnick, Vice-Chairman: Advocacy - Sir Speedy Printing
Jim Ware, President/CEO - Clovis Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors

Ronald Barsamian - Barsamian, Saqui & Moody Professional Corp.
Peg Bos - Clovis Historical Society/Museum
Mark Cannon - Clovis Garage
Daniel Casas - Table Mountain Casino
Carol DeBellis - Pelco
Vicki Dobbs - London Properties
Rod Geist - Central Valley Community Bank
Terry Kershaw - Clovis Center, State Community College District
Larry Kitahara - Kitahara Pontiac-Buick-GMC
Chi Ly - Kaiser Permanente
Ken May - Assemblyman Mike Villines
Thom Richardson - Sunrise Builders
Dave Smith - Consultant
Paul Spraetz - CSAA
Bill Syvertsen - Tutoring Club of Clovis

Ex-Officio

Jeffrey Roberts - Millerton Lake Chamber of Commerce
Elaine Hundchen - Coarsegold Chamber of Commerce
Ellie Huston

Posted by Jim Boren at 9:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Here is The Bee's editorial on the Clovis Chamber of Commerce's decision to oppose Measure C on the November ballot. Russ Minick, our deputy editorial page editor, wrote the editorial. It looks at the issue through the eyes of a mother explaining life to a whining child (the Clovis Chamber).

Posted by Jim Boren at 9:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

The Clovis Chamber of Commerce followed through on its threat to try to torpedo the extension of Fresno County's transportation sales tax by publicly opposing Measure C on the November ballot. This position is wrong-headed in so many ways. But the real problem with the Clovis Chamber's position is that it will hurt its own members -- the businesses that will prosper if Measure C is extended.

The Clovis Chamber members don't support the measure, which was a compromise agreed to by dozens of local groups and agencies with diverse memberships, because they don't like the mix of projects. The main problem with their thinking is they don't seem to understand the concept of compromise: agreement by the parties to give a bit to reach a consensus. Measure C is not perfect, but it's very good.

Let's set aside the fact that the current Measure C was very generous to Clovis, including building Freeway 168 that has helped to expand business in Clovis. The new Measure C would widen Shaw Avenue, among many other Clovis projects, and that would help Chamber members, as well as all Clovis residents. But even if Chamber members are blind to that benefit, the mere fact that Measure C will create $1.7 billion in construction projects should get their attention.

Much of that money will be end up in Clovis over the next 20 years. A big chunk of it will be earned by Clovis residents who will buy homes, cars and other goods. It's an economic development project all by itself.

But because Clovis Chamber members did not find the proposal to their liking, they want to kill the entire tax.

Not very smart.

Posted by Jim Boren at 9:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

The possibility that the Clovis Chamber of Commerce might not support Measure C, the renewal of the Fresno County transportation tax, would be a huge blow to the effort to get it passed in November. It takes a two-thirds vote, and any significant opposition would be difficult to overcome. Here's our editorial that explains what's at risk.

This is a key statement from our editorial: And it's a little upsetting to hear people in the Clovis chamber complain about this extension of Measure C when the original initiative, passed in 1986, brought so much to their community. Funds to complete Freeway 168 were a major component of that measure, and were given a higher priority than other projects precisely to satisfy the political demands of Clovis leaders and voters.

The Clovis chamber shouldn't be as shortsighted as its leadership is suggesting. It's in everyone's best interest for Measure C to win passage in November.

Posted by Jim Boren at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)