With the recent departure of Joe Blake, the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce is seeking a new chief executive.
While Blake did a fine job in his 10 years with the chamber, there is now a chance for fresh ideas and a new direction under his successor. But based on names being bandied about and the organization’s own website, it appears that the chamber is aspiring to the status quo instead.
The first part of this century has witnessed substantial changes in the region’s economics and demographics. These changes reflect both a national and global shift in resources, the balance of power and public and political priorities. Is the 150-year-old organization using the change in leadership as an opportunity to re-examine its mission, goals and priorities? Thus far, it doesn’t look that way.
The chamber’s website says the ideal candidate will sustain and enhance the chamber’s revenue; maximize and leverage strong board participation; support the organization’s economic-development efforts; lead its political advocacy and represent the business community on public policy matters; serve as liaison to the board chair; and be the “face of the business community throughout the state and region.”
What does the “face of the business community throughout the state and region” look like? Does it resemble the thousands of young creatives working from laptops and smart phones in Wi-Fi coffee shops, bookstores and restaurants? Is it a male face? Female? White and middle-aged with short-cropped hair atop a blue suit, white shirt and tie?
Where is this elusive “business community”? Twenty-eight of Colorado’s top 50 employers are located far from metro Denver; nearly half are public entities, i.e., colleges, universities and hospitals. Several — King Soopers, Qwest, public school districts, and local governments — are comprised of work forces with strong union allegiances. And the true innovators of the new century aren’t working from corner offices on 17th Street.
The national Chamber of Commerce promises to spend more than $100 million to defend the existing free-market health care system. The chamber’s beltway lobbyists vow to defeat any plan that includes a public option or threatens the status quo.
Are these chamber leaders reading the headlines? The U.S. spends more than $2 trillion a year on health care — nearly 50 percent more per person than the next most costly nation. Nearly 90 million people — one-third of Americans younger than 65 — are without health insurance and four out of five of those are in working families.
Where does the Denver Chamber stand on this issue? Do D.C. lobbyists recognize the hidden health tax on all businesses and individuals, resulting from uncompensated care delivered by public and private hospitals?
What are the priorities of a 21st century chamber of commerce? How is economic development defined? Is it supporting a tax subsidy for well-heeled developers to build a racetrack for pollution-belching machines? And does the concomitant development — hotels, strip centers, restaurants and bars — really reflect a clean energy economy, quality jobs and fiscal and physical sustainability?
Colorado has one of the lowest tax rates in the nation. Public support for K-12 and higher education is paltry. Our budget is paralyzed by a cacophony of competing statutes: TABOR, Gallagher, and Amendment 23. Is reducing business personal property tax and promoting new tourist attractions a relevant use of time and resources?
The times demand more than business as usual from an organization that strives to be the “leading voice of Colorado’s business community.”
Susan Barnes-Gelt (sbg13@comcast.net) served on the Denver City Council and worked for Mayor Federico Peña.
