The Hammond Chamber of Commerce has challenged its Governmental Affairs Committee to become engaged and work towards the greater education and advocacy on behalf of members. In order to accomplish this mission, the group felt it necessary to poll our membership and determine a short list of priorities, which translated into the Hammond Chamber’s legislative focus for 2009. Our list includes:
- Dedicated vs. Undedicated State Funding
- Champion the need for thoughtful review of the state’s practice of constitutionally and statutorily protecting certain funding and advocate for appropriate and necessary change to that practice
- Advocate for key public education K-12 reforms/upgrades
- Support initiatives to strengthen Southeastern Louisiana University as the premier regional institution in Southeast Louisiana
- Support initiatives to align workforce training/education
with regional workforce needs
- Pursue the widening of Hwy. 51 with possible installation
of roundabouts
- Call for six-laning of the I-12 Corridor
These priorities meld with the Chamber’s overall mission to strengthen the business climate, promote community development and enhance the economic vitality of the Hammond community within Tangipahoa Parish. The issue of responsible state budget practices, the ongoing protected vs. unprotected funding debate, holds tremendous impact on Tangipahoa as two of our largest employer industries fall under the categories of higher education and healthcare. We urge our legislators to make the tough decisions now that will benefit our parish, our region and our state for years to come.
Secondly, while the previous legislative session saw great strides in terms of aligning workforce development and training with employer needs, we encourage our legislators to hold true to the promises of reform and support so these efforts can succeed and grow. At the same time, since a cut is necessary, every effort must be made to determine smart changes to higher education funding. We cannot afford to cripple our universities’ ability to create the human capital to meet the needs of an ever-expanding knowledge-based economy. We also recognize that K-12 needs our attention and deserves the resources and capabilities to truly educate our children. And finally, there’s always infrastructure. Rather than be greedy, the Hammond Chamber of Commerce felt it appropriate to select two top projects that would immensely impact local businesses and our economic climate. Highway 51 and Interstate 12 must be improved! As our region continues to grow, the demands on our vital travel arteries grow exponentially. Traffic and safety concerns impede business and often stagnate investment opportunities.
In a nutshell – we will focus our efforts on restricted vs. unrestricted budget reform, workforce and education alignment and infrastructure improvements. The Hammond Chamber of Commerce stands ready to help our Legislative Delegation tackle these important issues.
Louisiana Workforce Commission & Hammond Chamber of Commerce present Employer Symposium
The Louisiana Workforce Commission, in conjunction with the Hammond Chamber of Commerce, presents an Employer Symposium at the Louisiana Workforce Conference & Training Center on Nashville Avenue in Hammond. There will be two Symposium sessions, the first on Thursday, April 30th and the second on Thursday, May 7th and both will begin at 8:30am with registration starting at 8:00am. Symposium I topics include:
Incumbent Worker Training Program (IWTP), Small Business Employer Training (SBET), Work Opportunity Tax Credit, Enterprise Zone Act, Apprenticeships, Customized Training and Employer based Training. Symposium II topics include: Minor Labor Law, Wage & Hour Information, Technical College Information, Unemployment Insurance Appeals, Unemployment Insurance Adjudication and Workers Compensation Information. These Employer Symposiums are free to the public and are a wealth of information for employers, small and large.
Join the Chamber!
If you are interested in joining the Hammond Chamber of Commerce, please keep the following information in mind when making your decision to join! (Based on results from the 2008 Shapiro Group Study)
· Joining the local Chamber of Commerce increases the likelihood of consumers buying goods and services from a company they believe to be a member of a local chamber by 63%.
· 82% of consumers surveyed believe that the local Chamber of Commerce helps create jobs and promotes economic development.
· When business decision-makers believe that a business is a member of a local Chamber of Commerce, they are 51% more likely to be highly aware of it, 58% more likely to think positively of its local reputation and 59% more likely to buy goods and services from the company.
The results are clear: Positive perceptions increase among consumers and business owners when a business is identified as a member of the local Chamber of Commerce. Increase your market share by joining the Hammond Chamber of Commerce today!
Please remember that May is Small Business Month. Always shop local and support our small businesses — the backbone of our economy!