Comstock's magazine 0919 - September 2019 | Page 32

n DISCOURSE
and commercial (properties), so it’s a
challenge for us. (We’re) looking for op-
portunities that don’t cost millions and
millions of dollars.
What’s the biggest state issue on your
radar?
El Dorado County for many years did not
have a reputation as being very business-
friendly. The current leadership … has
changed that, and it’s a new paradigm
(and) we are overcoming that negative,
not-business-friendly environment. I’m
really disappointed to say I don’t feel that
way at the state level. … And because of
state regulations and imposed costs of liv-
ing and cost of doing business constantly
increasing, it’s very difficult. I think the
challenge right now is with the Dynamex
(California Supreme Court ruling on in-
dependent contractors) issue. I believe it
is yet another case of unintended conse-
quences. Many of our members have busi-
ness models that include the services of
independent contractors, as well as many
of our members are independent contrac-
tors. I understand there may be two sides
to this issue, but the “one-size-fits-all”
approach to the issue isn’t the answer. A
closer look is needed to allow what is a
viable alternative to the traditional em-
ployer-employee standard.
What’s the biggest federal issue on your
radar?
National forests, working to make our for-
ests sustainable. We’ve lost the timber in-
dustry in the state of California, and we’re
importing over 70 percent of our lumber
from Canada and Australia. You can’t walk
through our forests because of the over-
growth and the fuels. It’s not a matter of
if there’s going to be another catastroph-
ic fire, it’s when. I’m hopeful the extreme
environmentalists are understanding that
it’s time for a more proactive approach to
cleaning up our forests so they’re healthy.
The millions and millions of trees that we
lost to the bark beetle and the drought,
it was because of overgrowth. So at the
federal level, that would be the big issue
for us.
In 2018, El Dorado County voters ap-
proved five ballot measures legalizing
the cultivation and sale of commercial
cannabis, and those ordinances are be-
ing developed. Is the chamber involved
in this discussion, and how might can-
nabis affect your organization?
Yes, the chamber is involved. We have
weighed in. The county has been dili-
gent in (its) approach to working with
the industry as well as the population in
coming to a place that is as comfortable as
possible for both the industry and the res-
idents. Everyone knows that cannabis has
been grown freely, illegally, here because
we have such a rural environment that it
Join us for our Fifteenth Annual
WILLIAM JESSUP UNIVERSIT Y
SUNDAY,OC TOBE R 13, 2019
5PM, E VENING AT TIRE
Tickets and sponsorships now available
J E S S U P. E D U/G A L A
“Now to him who is able
to do far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at
work within us.”
EPHESIANS 3:20
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comstocksmag.com | September 2019