Chamber Public Policy Statements

The Chamber Board of Directors adopted the Policy Statements below after input from our members and considerable work by the Public Policy Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Education Committee. They are intended to serve as guidelines or criteria by which the Chamber can evaluate its support or opposition to specific issues of public policy.

APPROPRIATIONS The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce supports government spending to the extent that the needs of Idahoans are best served, and the programs and institutions established and controlled by the various levels of government are maintained in a fiscally responsible manner.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT  The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce believes that the health of our federal, state, and local economies is critical to the quality of life in our community, and supports the development and implementation of prudent economic development programs and policies at the federal, state, and local levels.

EDUCATION The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce supports the establishment and maintenance of a system of education, both public and private, that prepares students to become successful contributors to society and that provides our citizens sufficient training opportunities to ensure skilled employees for our member businesses.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce believes that the role of government is to provide only those services that individuals and private enterprise do not adequately provide for the community. We further believe that policies, rules, and regulations should be limited to those necessary to preserve public safety, our quality of life, and the integrity of the free enterprise system.

HUMAN RESOURCES The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce believes the employer/employee relationship is best left to the parties involved and that both costs and benefits should be fully considered and balanced for any and all mandates imposed by government that affect that relationship.

HUMAN RIGHTS  The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce believes in the value to our community of all persons, regardless of their gender, race, creed, age, national origin, or religion and supports efforts to safeguard the rights granted to all people by our Constitution.

LEGAL  The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce supports a legal system that recognizes the importance of access to legal remedies and that promotes a predict able and stable legal climate.

NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT  The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce supports the sustainable use and enjoyment of our abundant natural resources, through responsible stewardship practices compatible with economic development and outdoor recreational opportunities in northern Idaho. Further, we believe that a collaborative, cooperative approach toward natural resource management, will not only conserve our resources for long-term use and enjoyment, but also will also protect and create jobs, and ultimately lead to maintaining a strong and diverse economy.

PUBLIC UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTURE  The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce supports quality utility services to ensure a clean environment for the present and future needs of community. Furthermore, the Chamber believes that appropriate and adequate utility infrastructure is fundamental for growth and economic development to occur in our communities and positively impacts the quality of life of our residents and visitors.

TAXATION  The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce supports a system of government taxation that is consistent, predictable, and equitable, and that ensures that the basic needs of the governed are served.

TRANSPORTATION The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce recognizes that safe and efficient transportation systems are the carriers of the lifeblood of our economy and supports an energetic program to improve and maintain North Idaho’s highways, waterways, railways, and airports.