This article explains why the Chamber of Commerce isn’t looking out for you – they want government spending!  The people they endorsed epitomize their goal.  Don’t miss the 2nd story below.

Pro-Business Does Not Mean Pro-Freedom or Pro-Market

Representatives of the business community frequently are the worst enemies of freedom. They often seek special subsidies and handouts, and commonly conspire with politicians to thwart competition (conveniently, they want competition among their suppliers, just not for their own products). Fortunately, most business organizations still tend to be – on balance – supporters of limited government. But as the Wall Street Journal notes, some state and local chambers of commerce have become relentless enemies of good policy:

…many chambers of commerce on the state and local level have been abandoning these goals. They’re becoming, in effect, lobbyists for big government. In Colorado, a coalition of property owners, conservative think tanks, anti-tax groups and small businesses fought against a ballot initiative in 2005 that was intended to gut the state’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights (Tabor). They lost, and as a result state spending will expand by $5 billion over the next five years, costing the average family several thousand dollars in higher taxes. It was not the teachers’ unions or class-warfare liberals who spearheaded the campaign against Tabor, however – it was the Denver Chamber of Commerce. …In Virginia, the state and local chambers, along with big-business allies, have spent more than $4 million in recent years on ballot initiatives and legislative lobbying to raise $2 billion in taxes for roads, rails, buses and schools. This year they want a billion more for transportation, despite the state’s multibillion-dollar surplus, and have even threatened to run candidates against fiscal conservatives in the legislature who take a “no new taxes” pledge. …In New Jersey – home of some of the worst schools in the nation – the state chamber took out an ad with the teachers’ unions opposing a school-voucher initiative for families in inner cities. The ad was withdrawn only after pro-school reform business members hollered in protest. Last summer taxpayers revolted when Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine called for a $1.5 billion hike in the sales tax; but “the chamber and other business groups sat on their hands in order to avoid making enemies with the legislature,” notes Frayda Levin, New Jersey director of Americans for Prosperity. In Oklahoma the state chamber filed a petition with the state Supreme Court to block eminent domain reform, and vowed to fight a taxpayer-led movement to enact a Colorado-style Tabor. Massachusetts? The state chamber and allied business groups oppose an income tax cut.

Source:  http://www.cato.org/blog/pro-business-does-not-mean-pro-freedom-or-pro-market

Endorsements by the Chamber of Commerce:

Normal:

Chris Koos

Kevin McCarthy

Scott Preston

Cheryl Gaines

Bloomington:

John Hanson

Write-in guy

Jennifer McDade

Ryan Fiala – this guy doesn’t fit into this group at all.  They must have dropped the ball picking Ryan.

US Chamber of Commerce Takes Part in Muslim Brotherhood Charm Offensive

A delegation of the Muslim Brotherhood recently went on a whirlwind tour of US governmental and private institutions and individuals.

One of the organizations that the Ikhwan met with was the US Chamber of Commerce.

If you are surprised, you shouldn’t be.

The US Chamber of Commerce has a history of appeasement and outreach to enemies of America.

For example, did you know that the US Chamber of Commerce was at the forefront of an effort to get the US government to drop sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran? On top of that, that same effort opposed efforts on the state level in the US to divest taxpayer-supported public pension systems from foreign companies that did business in Iran.

Now the US Chamber of Commerce has decided it is in its best interests to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood, the granddaddy of all Jihadist organizations.

Interestingly, legislation to prevent the incorporation of Shariah law in the state of Oklahoma died in committee in the Oklahoma state senate last week largely due to opposition from the Oklahoma Chamber. Is there a connection?

If you are a member of the Chamber, you may want to rethink your membership–that is if you care about US national security and civilizational jihad…

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/45774