The recent “news” article written by Tammy Murga reads like a public relations piece for the SCV Chamber of Commerce. How convenient, the nonprofit SCV Chamber can get their political message out to the public at no cost and reward their good friends , incumbents Laurene Weste, Marsha McLean and appointee Bill Miranda. Nevertheless, Signal readers deserve more in a news article — background information and disclosure.
Each year the City Council votes to give the SCV Chamber a $40,000 subsidy. Those are your tax dollars! When the SCV Chamber was facing imminent bankruptcy in 2016 the City Council voted to give them rent-free office space on the second floor at City Hall. This allowed the chamber to escape the terms of an onerous and ill-advised lease agreement on their previous location.
In early 2017, Marsha McLean and Laurene Weste voted with Cameron Smyth to place then-chamber board member Bill Miranda in the council seat vacated by Dante Acosta.
According to the SCV Chamber’s web site, Bill Miranda still serves as a special adviser to their auxiliary group, The SCV Latino Business Alliance.
The chamber and Bill Miranda have not fully explained or documented the financial settlement and terms of the Latino Chamber of Commerce merger with the SCV Chamber in 2015.
Surprise, surprise, surprise: The SCV Chamber executive committee rewards the incumbents and Miranda with their endorsement, propagated to the community through a major local media outlet.
Prompted by a recent inquiry, an executive at The Signal advised me that their news organization is a member of the SCV Chamber of Commerce. It seems to me that a disclaimer in the article advising the reader of this relevant fact would be appropriate to enhance transparency.
In the future, I hope that The Signal will be more conscientious in their reporting and provide their readers with important background information and disclosure. This attention to detail will allow the reader to have a fully informed perspective.
Steve Petzold
Santa Clarita
