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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Chamber programs inform, facilitate community conversation ... Quilt project's vision: An America with fewer gun deaths ... Turning on the TAP: New Ashland coffee shop opens Monday ... Chamber programs inform, facilitate community conversation ... Quilt project's vision: An America with fewer gun deaths ... Turning on the TAP: New Ashland coffee shop opens Monday ... CHAMBER COMMUNIQUé Chamber programs inform, facilitate community conversation By Dana Preston Ashland Chamber of Commerce DailyTidings.com By Dana Preston Ashland Chamber of Commerce Posted Jan. 11, 2016 @ 4:37 pm By Dana Preston Ashland Chamber of Commerce Posted Jan. 11, 2016 @ 4:37 pm » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The Ashland Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization that serves more than 700 members and provides its members and the greater business community opportunities for promotion, education and support. Many Chambers of Commerce throughout the country have active Political Action Committees and engage in legislative advocacy including the financial support of candidates for office. The Ashland Chamber, however, takes the educational approach, providing our members and community with information on candidates and issues. The Ashland Chamber has an active Legislative Committee. Its mission is to provide access and information on important issues at all levels of government to the community. The mission is administered in three different ways: • Legislative Hotlines — When the Oregon Legislature is in session, the Ashland Chamber holds weekly community hotline calls with current legislators in office. Senator Alan Bates and Rep. Peter Buckley give an overview about current legislative issues in Salem, where bills stand and what is new that could affect Ashland. Representatives from the business community, higher education, K-12 education, senior services, health care and environmental organizations all attend and the hotline calls are open to the public. These hotline calls take place on Wednesdays while the state legislature is in session at 7:30 a.m. in the Camps Conference Room on the Oregon Shakespeare Campus. • Community Issues Forums — The Ashland Chamber coordinates Community Issues Forums to discuss issues that could impact the entire community. Inviting representatives of each position on the issue to the table creates opportunity for true dialogue. A recent example of a Community Issues Forum was when the Ashland Meals Tax was up for renewal. The Ashland Chamber invited proponents and opponents of the proposed renewal to make a presentation to community members and allowed an opportunity for all perspectives to be shared. Beyond issues that may require a community vote, the Ashland Chamber also engages and/or coordinates Community Issues Forums on topics such as possible drought situations and emergency preparedness. • Candidate Discussion Series — Unlike other chamber models across the country, the Ashland Chamber does not endorse candidates for election at any level. During election years, the chamber will host candidate discussion series, inviting all candidates for city, county and state positions to participate. All candidates who participate are provided questions specifically pertaining to Ashland’s economy and quality of life, ahead of time. The series is recorded by RVTV, aired regularly and on ashlandchamber.com leading up to the election so that people can make up their own minds of who to vote for in the election. The Ashland Chamber believes that the more opportunities for education regarding political issues and candidate discussions, the more informed decisions can be made, enhancing the quality of life in Ashland. Civic engagement is a value that Ashlanders hold dear and the Ashland Chamber continues to provide opportunities for citizens to engage further in local politics through educational outreach. Dana Preston is membership development manager for the Ashland Chamber of Commerce. By Dana Preston Ashland Chamber of Commerce DailyTidings.com By Dana Preston Ashland Chamber of Commerce Posted Jan. 11, 2016 @ 4:37 pm » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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