I was a bit surprised by a letter to the editor today in which Long Beach Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Randy Gordon applauds Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach. Gordon writes that he has been keeping track of Richardson's voting record and believes that much of the time her "yays" favor business.
In an interview, Gordon said Richardson's pro-business voting record is higher than most Democrats.
Also, Gordon said that it is a myth that the Chamber doesn't back Democrats. He says that in more than half of Long Beach-area races, the Chamber has supported Dems. And, he points out, many of those candidates have won.
Here's the text of Gordon's letter:
Re "A report from Washington" (Editorial, Sept. 4), which highlighted Rep. Laura Richardson's interview with your editorial board.
It is important for Long Beach to understand more than just her personal life. At the top of that list is the fact that Richardson is a relatively strong voice for business in Congress.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently announced 260 pro-business lawmakers with their annual Spirit of Enterprise Award. The yearly award is based on voting performance and was given to 19 members of Congress from California.
Although Rep. Richardson fell short of winning the award, she does vote favorably in support of job creation more often than many of her colleagues. She votes in favor of pro-jobs legislation 63 percent of the time. A 70 percent rating is needed to qualify for the award. We are proud of her commitment to supporting job-creation legislation so far, and we look forward to her winning the award next time if she crosses the 70 percent mark.
Randy Gordon
President and CEO
Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
