Full-Page Ad Slams Cal Chamber for Becerra Endorsement

The California Business & Industrial Alliance (CABIA) has a full-page ad in the California Post that slams the California Chamber of Commerce’s misguided endorsement of Xavier Becerra for Governor.

As the Globe reported, last week the Cal Chamber announced they were endorsing Xavier Becerra in the November general election for governor. Immediately I pictured the Cal Chamber board of directors cowering under their conference room table.

“Cal Chamber going along with Becerra is learned helplessness, given that California has the worst business climate,” Steve Hilton said at a press conference. He must have a similar imagination to mine. “How they say they want more of that – utter quizzlings.”

“It’s a display of utter cowardice on behalf of the Cal Chamber.”

“California is already at the top of the ‘don’t want to go there’ list. You would think that the business community would stand up and fight. Instead we see the business lobby in California caving,” Hilton added.

The ad highlights that the Cal Chamber endorsed Becerra for Governor alongside Big Labor, including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). It’s a slap in the face to California business owners who have been targeted by harmful union-backed policies like the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) and a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers.

The increase to $20 minimum wage for fast food workers went into effect in April of 2024 resulting in Californians bearing the cost of the 25% wage hike through significant job losses and steep food price hikes for consumers. Food prices at local restaurants increased by 14.5% since the legislation was signed, nearly double the national average.

The ad points out that even former president Joe Biden didn’t endorse “Embarrassment” Becerra after his incompetent tenure in the Biden administration.

The ad remarks that it’s no wonder the press says the Cal Chamber needs to “grow a spine.”

Ouch.

This has been a serious problem with the business lobbying associations in California, going back two decades when AB 32 was passed and signed into law. Someone tell them that they don’t really have a seat at the table any more. Cowardice, indeed. With nothing to lose, they should be calling press conferences to expose everything Democrats are doing, we said.

It’s particularly egregious because when Xavier Becerra sat down with Elex Michaelson of CNN for an interview, he said he’d change nothing in California.

Nothing? He gave Gavin Newsom an “A” grade on homelessness. And the CalChamber endorsed this?

Perhaps they should have polled their members first – I expect their business members disagree that nothing should change in California politics, and that the 180,000 to 200,000 homeless drug addicts living on the streets is okay.