According to One Southern Indiana, following are the members of the 1SI Public Policy Committee.
You'll quickly see that with the possible exception of Dana Huber, there are no representatives of small business interests taking part in this star chamber.
You'll also see few small businesses listed within the pages of overlapping support for the Bridges Project (below), and although New Albany residents would pay bridge tolls along with others, you'll notice very little involvement from New Albany in any way, in any of these groupings.
What you will see after just a few minutes of web research are numerous, interlocking webs of self-interest. Perhaps this perfectly normal, but I'll ask this question again: Where in any of it is substantive representation for New Albany?
Public Involvement Groups
Businesses supporting the Bridges Coalition
The Bridges Coalition Board
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1SI Public Policy Committee
Marty Bell (Greater Clark County Schools)
Dale Gettelfinger (Monroe Shine)
Pat Harrison (realtor; RE/MAX One)
Dana Huber (Huber Orchard, Winery & Vineyards)
Tim Hunt, Koetter Construction
Ed Jerdonek (Luckett & Farley Architects and Engineers)
Tom Jones (The Hartfield Company??)
Christopher L. King (attorney; Ward, Tyler & Scott, LLC)
Bob Kleehamer (First Harrison Bank)
John A. Kraft (attorney; Young, Lind, Endres & Kraft)
Jorge Lanz (Jacobi, Toombs and Lanz)
Tom Lumley (The Travel Authority)
James G. Mills (Centra Credit Union)
Matthew C. Oakley (Baker Commercial Real Estate)
Dale Orem (former Jeffersonville mayor)
Barbara Popp (realtor; Schuler Bauer Real Estate Services)
Kerry M Stemler (K.M. Stemler Company, Inc.)
Andrew Takami (Ivy Tech)
James N. Williams (attorney; Middleton Reutlinger)
Van Willis (Kightlinger & Gray, LLP)
Tonya Fischer (One Southern Indiana staffer)
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15 comments:
I can only say this about 1si and their interest in small business. When I started at the bookstore, Randy arranged a meeting with a representative of 1si. Not a membership committeeman, just a regular member that Randy knew. During that meeting, the question was asked about 1si and their commitment to small businesses. That member replied, "Well, there really isn't one. It's something that we need to work on."
We, of course, did not sign up as members. I did, however, appreciate the honesty of that person.
I guess it depends on your definition of "small business." Personally, I would consider most of the represented businesses to be small, at least when compared with my definition of "big business." There are no representatives from Humana, YUM, Duke, etc. Most of these businesses have fewer than 100 employees. If the thought is that they have insufficient representation from small business, how should small business be defined?
Geez, Dan, I freely admit that my grasp of terminology sometimes wavers, but the inference is clear.
Take away the real estate interests, lawyers, engineers and bankers, and there isn't much left.
No food and drink service, except Huber's.
No shops, boutiques, hairdressers or shoe shine stands.
No retail of almost any sort, including chain retail.
It's a profoundly top-heavy list of the usual suspects, viewed in almost any light, including their own.
There is a huge swath of the local economy not represented on this committee. Call it small, micro, mom and pop, whatever.
I agree that the industries represented are narrow. As noted earlier, a national trend during the past 20 years is a shift towards over representation of real estate interests on the boards of Chambers of Commerce. I suspect 1SI might benefit a greater variety of businesses if they had representations from a greater variety of business owners.
You interested in the job, Roger?
On a totally different note, from Republican Businessman Hal Heiner's campaign site:
A community's foundation is laid upon safe, secure and vibrant neighborhoods. Whether downtown, around town or outside of town, where we live and shop, visit friends and attend church, hike and bike with our kids – the places we call home come together to form a tapestry that binds Louisville as one community.
An area's quality of life is also an important consideration for industry and entrepreneurs. Great neighborhoods translate into greater ability to attract jobs and opportunity. Investments to make our city more livable is an investment in the economic prospects for its citizens.
www.halformayor.com/vis-life.aspx
As of 2007, 84.6% of small businesses in Indiana had 20 or fewer employees. I've seen reports since that suggest the percentage is easily over 90% now.
They typically don't have much representation over and above themselves, in contrast to what chambers of commerce often say.
Dan, you are naive yet adorable. So you believe all those attorneys on the 1SI board represent the benign perspective of the law as applies to ?
Yum, Humana, et al are well represented in Louisville public policy and presumably through the law firms on 1SI’s board. An org called one Southern Indiana would necessarily be about the “big” businesses here. Are there any big businesses here? Gee, I wonder.
Jeff, how much of that is because the businesses with 20 and few employees don't seek representation on the Chamber of Commerce? If small business wants more representation on 1SI, is there anything stopping them from joining 1SI and getting involved? Is there anything stopping them from starting their own organization?
Maybe there needs to be a Main Street organization.
Wait ...
Gina, please reread my post. Your comment it unrelated to what I wrote.
Maybe there needs to be a Main Street organization.
Now there's a novel idea.
"how should small business be defined?"
Dan I was commented most specifically on this first post question.
"...take away the lawyers...."
Well, make that the big firm defense lawyers who represent the large corporate types that 1Si seems to devote itself to serving.
No small firm folks - or heaven forbid - Plaintiff's lawyers who might represent the little guy from time to time.
Lawguy, nothing implied on this end. I was looking at sheer numbers represented in terms of profession. You are dead on in your observation.
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