Area Chambers Frustrated With Legislators

*The below letter was sent Monday on behalf of the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership - comprised of the Dulles Regional, Greater Reston and Loudoun County chambers of commerce - to Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and all members of the General Assembly.*

March 5, 2012

 Dear General Assembly Member:

On behalf of the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership, comprised of the Dulles Regional, Greater Reston and Loudoun County chambers of commerce, we would like to convey our collective frustration with the conduct of the 2012 Virginia General Assembly and remind you of the priority we shared at the start of the 2012 session – to support policies that promote a strong, pro-business environment that enhances Virginia’s economic competitiveness, cultivates growth in all segments of our economy, and ensures adequate access to critical business infrastructure and resources.

At this point in the session, on behalf of our 2,800 business members and their more than 100,000 employees, we urge you, once again, to focus on this top priority. To accomplish this goal, we believe you must, first and foremost, adopt a budget.

Over the past several decades, under the leadership of many General Assemblies and Gubernatorial Administrations from both sides of the political aisle, Virginia has built and maintained a well-earned reputation as our nation’s finest state to start and grow a business, raise a family and to build a career.

Generations of Virginia legislators, businesses and citizens have contributed countless amounts of time, energy and resources to achieve these well-deserved distinctions.

This is the legacy that the current General Assembly and Administration has inherited, and as your business community, is quite frankly, why we have chosen Virginia as our home.

While over the past several weeks, we have heard much about a wide range of partisan issues from both sides of the political spectrum and otherwise, as business leaders, we remain steadfast in our position that your ultimate focus should be on maintaining Virginia’s reputation as a well-governed, fiscally disciplined state where businesses and families alike feel safe to invest in their future.

With all of the respect and courtesy that your office deserves, we expect every member of the Governor’s Administration and Virginia General Assembly to put aside partisan differences and act in the best interest of the Commonwealth by focusing on the jobs that the voters hired you to do, first and foremost, earnestly negotiating and adopting a budget. The negative consequences of not doing so are far reaching, and serve no Virginian’s interest, political or otherwise.

We thank you for your commitment to serve the Commonwealth of Virginia and pledge the resources at our collective disposal to help you and your colleagues serve the economic and quality of life needs of every citizen and business in Virginia.

 Respectfully,

Mark S. Ingrao, President & CEO, Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce

Eileen Curtis, President & CEO, Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce

Tony Howard, President & CEO, Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce