CHICAGO- A small business owner was denied entry into the U.S. Chamber of Commerce meeting today, despite having paid premium non-member admission.
“Apparently, small business is not valued by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,” said a frustrated Debra Michaud of Chicago.
“I came here to hear the Chamber’s position on the climate and the environment, and to ask them questions about this. These are things I am concerned about as an individual, and as a business person. I was refused entry, even though I had paid a premium rate to attend,” she explained.
The Chamber has come under intense criticism in recent months for its climate and environmental positions. Many large members including Apple and Chicago-based Exelon have quit the group over Chamber policies hostile to the environment and climate change abatement. It has also been criticized of late for inflating its membership claims by as much as an order of magnitude.
“It seems that the Chamber is only interested in BIG business, and inflating CEO salaries – not jobs, justice or the environment,” concluded an angry Michaud. “It acts more like a Chamber of Horrors than a responsible business group.”
The Chamber meeting has been met by protests outside of the InterContinental Hotel, and by criticism from local Chicago and national labor and environmental groups, including Jobs with Justice, SEIU, Rainforest Action Network and Sierra Club. A Wall Street Journal article reported recently that the Chamber has been spending upwards of $300,000 per day since September lobbying to defeat health care and clean energy legislation.
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For more information about the Chamber of Commerce:
1. "U.S. Chamber Spent a Record $34.7 Million on Lobbying in Past 3 Months," The Wall Street Journal, October 19, 2009
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2. "Does the U.S. Chamber Speak for Big Business?," Business Week, October 7, 2009
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3. "Butchers offer financial services? 'Completely false,' says Obama," Reuters, October 20, 2009
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4. "Apple Resigns From Chamber Over Climate," The New York Times, October 5, 2009
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"'Hot Button' Climate Issue Spotlights How U.S. Chamber Sets Policy," The New York Times, October 5, 2009
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5. "Chamber Rejects the Use of Term '3 Million Members,'" Mother Jones, October 23, 2009
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6. "The U.S. Chamber vs. honesty," The Washington Post, October 27, 2009
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