VERNON, Calif., Aug. 2, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marisa Olguin, President of the Vernon Chamber of Commerce, issued the following statement in response to former Attorney General and Independent Ethics Advisor John Van de Kamp's proposed reforms for the City of Vernon:
"The Vernon Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the reform recommendations set forth in former Attorney General John Van de Kamp's report released earlier today. The Vernon Chamber of Commerce believes that these reforms are essential for a new, clean Vernon and urges the City Council to adopt these 38 recommendations as soon as possible. We are, however, pleased to learn that John Van de Kamp and his highly regarded team found a history of 'no significant fault' with the City's compliance with the Political Reform Act, conflict of interest policies, the Brown Act, and the Public Records Act.
These reforms, along with the newly adopted and independent Housing Commission, whose first members were appointed at today's City Council meeting, will create a more democratic Vernon while maintaining the business-friendly atmosphere that has made it the manufacturing hub of Southern California. We congratulate Chamber Members Eric Gustafson of Coast Packing, Mike Hughes of King Meat, and Henry Haskell of Square-H Brands on their appointment and look forward to their recommendations on the creation of the housing policy.
Despite the reform measures presented today, the fact remains that AB 46 and AB 781 remain bad legislation. These bills, created without the input of local businesses, will result in the loss of $1.5 billion in economic output and 11,620 manufacturing jobs in California. With the upcoming Senate Appropriations hearing on August 15, we hope that the California State Senate sees that protecting jobs and critical industries to the state's economy means that we should fix the City of Vernon's problems through governance reforms, not eradicating a City that actually works."