The following letter was distributed by the CEO of the Petaluma Chamber of Commerce in response to a letter from a member of the Chamber regarding the Haystack Landing project.

Oct 6, 2009 Vol. 23

This is an open letter in response to Mr. Edin Goolan of last week.

Dear Sir:

On behalf of the Board of Directors I want to acknowledge receipt of your letter contending that the Chamber Board cannot take positions on issues without first polling the entire membership.

As a member of the Chamber, you should know that taking advocacy positions on behalf of business is precisely what your Board is elected to do. Since government at all levels has the potential to enact programs and policies that are not in the best interest of a business community as a whole, your Board reviews these issues carefully and takes positions only when potentially adverse decisions may be taken by our elected officials.

For many years now, your Board has been taking these positions, and almost without fail these positions are reported in our monthly paper, Petaluma Business.
The 15 members of our Board are elected by a majority of the membership specifically to represent the membership as advocates for a thriving economy and a pro-business community. Your Board did not take the Dutra position lightly, but did so because they did not find that contentions about severe environmental effects were supported by fact. On the other hand, they did find that this plant, which has been operating in Petalumafor more than 20 years with no adverse environmental impacts, makes a positive contribution to the local economy.

Your Board is functioning in the same manner as any other form of representative government, whether it be the City Council or the U.S. Senate. Members are elected to make decisions and take positions for the betterment of the electorate and the community. Your Board has acted in that time honored tradition, and unanimously acted in what they truly believe to be the best interests of the Petaluma business community.

Signed,
Onita Pellegrini, CEO Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce

Onita Pellegrini, C.E.O.
Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce
6 Petaluma Blvd. North; Suite A-2
Petaluma, CA  94952
(707)762-2785 ext. #105