WAKE UP TUCSON: Use your checkbook

By Joe Higgins and Chris DeSimone, special for Inside Tucson Business
Published on Friday, November 06, 2009

The campaign signs are being collected. Campaign teams are exhausted. Candidates are getting to know their families again and life will return to normal for a couple radio talk show hosts. In the end Tucson has taken the first big step in a long journey.

Business people understand elections have consequences. Especially when government leaders are making decisions about banks being too big to fail, universal health care, new regulations, another czar of something or other and unending government takeovers. Billions and trillions of dollars that get thrown around way too easily.

President Obama rolled into office after eight years of Bush fatigue. Last year was time to punish Republicans for overstepping their power and losing sight of their core beliefs. The electorate was ready for a change.

Tucson had a similar momentum for change building this year among voters. Missteps, starts and stops, insider deals and unfulfilled promises got public attention and what happened? Republicans overcame a 2-to-1 voter disadvantage to elect Steve Kozachik to the city council. If you’ve met Koz, you know he would be better suited for a future non-partisan race than what he went through this year. This election was not about party affiliations; it was about job creation.

Where was the business community in this election? Once again a last-ditch rally cry went out, “it’s time for business to influence an election.” Meetings were called, checks were written, campaign strategies were implemented and in the end it was close. A handful of us actually did a lot, a bunch of us did a little and most of us thought “why bother.” Look at the track record in elections; business wins a few but loses most then drifts back into apathy until the next election.

It’s going to take a consistent long-range approach to change that current climate. We agree there is a lack of vision from elected officials but we in the business community also lack long-range vision. Where is business leadership? Who is the “go to” voice for business in Tucson?

Is it the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce? Judge for yourself. Take a look at Austin, Albuquerque or El Paso and compare their chamber models to ours.

Is it the Southern Arizona Leadership Council? SALC’s big push is education, which we agree is critically important to economic development.  Starting with the basics and fixing the local playing field before lobbying Phoenix may be a better strategy. Voters last week told Tucson Unified School District and most districts around the state that more money isn’t going to happen – at least not right now.

Is it the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association or the Tucson Association of Realtors? Both organizations are too toxic to lead the charge. The Democratic machine in Tucson has made a career out of demonizing the “evil” growth lobby.

Is it Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO)? TREO’s mission is to bring business to our region. It is still primarily supported by government sector and can’t bite the hand that feeds it, yet a rolling up their sleeves and creating a pro-business climate is the very thing TREO needs to be successful.

Is it small business? We have the numbers but we are usually so busy trying to keep our doors open scratching out a living we have little time for anything else.

Ladies and gentlemen, to use the famous Pogo quotation, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” The next time you write your membership check to a business organization look to see if it accurately represents your view and is on the right track. The next time you get asked for a large donation ask if the organization — be it a chamber, business group or political party — if it can show measurable results.

Do we bury our heads for another two or four years and hope things will be different? Do we continue with the “go-along-to-get-along” attitude that has left us as second-class players in an community that is decaying?

It’s time for the business community to call for accountability and leadership. Vote with our checkbooks. It’s time  to feed those business organization that are truly getting things done and starve those that have failed us.

Our hats are off to all the candidates and incumbents for the effort they put forth. If your pick didn’t win, get over it. Now is the time to get to work and support all of our elected officials to make Tucson a better place to do business.

Contact Joe Higgins at joe@joehigginsinc.com or Chris DeSimone at provenpartners@comcast.net. They’re the hosts of “Wake Up Tucson,” which airs 6 – 8 a.m. weekdays on The Voice KVOI 1030-AM. Check out their blog at www.TucsonChoices.com.