Why Business and Government Relationships Matter

Written by Andrea H. Reay, President/CEO of Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce

Our Chamber of Commerce is proud of the relationships we’ve built with local government, with our elected officials and city staff. Why are these relationships and the open dialogue created beneficial to our members and our community? How are these relationships vital for our elected officials when they are exploring solutions to the issues that matter most to our community? Simply put, because economic cooperation and our ability to collaborate will always achieve better results.

Mayors and elected officials at the Chamber’s 2019 State of our Cities Luncheon

Businesses are obviously impacted by public policy decisions, but so are consumers. The most obvious being taxing and regulations. This balance between public and private interests often, unfortunately, turns into an “us vs them” debate, which is discouraging and self-defeating for all. The truth is that business interests are often also public interests and are not mutually exclusive ideals. Here are just a few examples of areas where public and private interests align and what we as a Chamber are proud to support and advocate for:

1) Research and Development.

Whether we’re talking about researching cures for Cancer or eliminating climate change with alternative energy or new technology, investments from the public and private sector, working together, is mutually beneficial for all.

2) Economic Development

A robust and dynamic economy is good for business and the public. When businesses are successful, more taxes are collected, and more public programs and investments are funded. Those investments include many necessary public services such as police and fire. Washington State businesses pay over half of the total taxes collected in our state.

3) Education

The most valuable resource in the Southside region is the people who live and work here. Our businesses and communities can only prosper with the right investments that improve the ability for people to thrive and find jobs.

We are grateful for the relationships that we have built with our public partners and are committed to creating opportunities to bring city and regional business leaders together to interact, strengthen ties, and forge new relationships. Thank you to all our public partners and business and community members that are committed to working together in collaboration and partnership. We truly are stronger together. Thank you for your commitment to and for our community.

This article was written by Andrea H. Reay, President/CEO of Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce, “A voice for business, a leader in the community”.  Seattle Southside Chamber has served the communities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac, and Tukwila since 1988.  For more information about the Chamber, including a full list of member benefits and resources, please visit their website at www.SeattleSouthsideChamber.com

Parts of this blog article were originally published on the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce Blog in June of 2018 and has been edited for conciseness and clarity. Source: https://www.seattlesouthsidechamber.com/blog/andrea-s-blog-4830/post/why-business-and-government-relationships-matter-17198