Chamber of Commerce takes no position on infrastructure measure

By John Canalis

Staff Writer

LONG BEACH -- The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce took no position today on Measure I, Mayor Bob Foster's infrastructure-improvement measure, sources at the meeting said.

The chamber's governing board rejected the advice of its government-affairs council to oppose the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot and instead decided to take no official position.

The $571 million parcel tax would use bond financing to improve streets, sidewalks, curbs, alleys and public buildings. Though homeowners would pay $120 a year, commercial business owners would pay based on a formula that considers the size of their properties.

"It just shows the mayor's support from the business community is not as strong as he thought it was," said Randy Terrell of the No on I campaign.

The mayor's office, however, noted that two other prominent business groups, the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Long Beach Associates, endorsed Measure I.

"It's one of the most tired tactics in politics to attack the people rather than the merit of the issue," Becki Ames, the mayor's chief of staff, said of the No on I campaign. "It's unfortunate they have chosen to take that tack."

Representatives for the mayor and the Rebuild Long Beach campaign, which supports Measure I, and Chamber President/CEO Randy Gordon could not be immediately reached for comment.

The vote was not immediately available.

The advisory council, of which Terrell is a member, voted Sept. 11 to oppose Measure I. Terrell is not on the chamber's governing board.