... and now for the rest of the story

… and now the rest of the story.

As is known I decided to run for an office with The Bayview Chamber of Commerce. I felt that I could give something back to the community that has been so very kind to me. At the time I made my decision I was still employed at a local marina.

I had a dear friend call me about a month ago. The conversation started with a question “have you been downtown (Bayview) lately? It is like an atom bomb went off in town.’ This is very true. Bayview is deader than I remember it being for the past 5 years. Part of the problem is the economy, part of the problem I feel is the attitude of the few who represent a local organization.

I made several comments to The Chamber of Commerce concerning being well a Chamber of Commerce. I asked what is the Chamber doing to assist local businesses is successful and what the Chamber is doing to encourage job growth. The job question was thrown back in my lap and at the time I thought this quest would be more difficult than it probably is. Score one for those in the committee that seems to somehow have taken over the Chamber.

The answer really is very simple. My daughter calls it “leave no one behind.” Being military families certain beliefs are held dear. Elizabeth and I were discussing Mr. Umbrella Tree, a plant that has been with this family since 1979. Being in the military one learns to hold on to things that are not replaceable. Mr. Umbrella could replaceable but you see he is now part of the family. One needs to hold dear those that are close to you and your family. The businesses of Bayview, like Mr. Umbrella need nourishment and caring in order to grow. To create jobs in the community we need to support the businesses that exist, no matter who owns the business.

I have heard that there are those in the community who are boycotting The Bay Café because a certain business owner owns the business. Huh! You as a community are not hurting that business owner but instead are hurting someone I hold near and dear to my heart. You are also hurting me by being petty.

The meeting on the 14th of December had many people show up. Many memberships that I suspect were not paid all year were taken care of before the meeting started. Seems to me that there is something inherently wrong with this action but then I have witnessed many events within the Chamber that did not follow the Chamber By-Laws, Standing Rules, or for that matter Robert’s Rules of Order. I surely intended to uphold the Chamber Charter, the By-Laws, and the Standing Rules if I were elected.
At the last moment a slate of nominees were presented to the Chamber and the Board, all were somehow or another involved with the Committee that has managed to take control of the Chamber. Rather than choosing new blood to the Chamber the controlling committee managed to get their people elected.

So here we go, another two years of the Bayview Chamber of Commerce being run by the DAC. How do I know this? It is not supposition on my part. An email sent to the members of the DAC ended up in my hands. The subject for the email was:
DAC Rules!
DAC-3 Opponents-0

Go to www.bayviewidaho.org click on the tab for Chamber of Commerce, click on the Charter for the DAC and look at the logo. This logo still amazes me, right there is the emblem for the DAC.

After DAC’s power play at the recent Chamber election and managing to “take over” three offices, again the identity of the Chamber is lost to the DAC. What will be the next move? The DAC’s Chamber of Commerce?

I will sign off for now, maybe I will get some hits on my blog.

Norma Jean