Opinion: Where does San Diego go from here?
By: Tom Wornham

Banker Tom Wornham took over last week as 2010 chairman of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, delivering a dramatic call to action in his installation speech Wednesday night. The commentary below is an adaptation of his remarks.

A group of people got together 140 years ago to form an organization to advance the quality of life for our region. The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce was not founded in opposition to anyone or anything. It was founded to help and support our region.

Now it is time for us to talk about where we go from here.

When I finished my term as chairman of the Economic Development Corp. at the end of 2008, I spoke of my belief that we are our greatest asset and our greatest liability. My adventures since then have only reaffirmed that belief.

God has blessed us with great geography and topography. But like any gift, we need to put in our share of labor to preserve it.

The local TransNet portion of the state sales tax will allow us to continue to build our transportation infrastructure. But we need energy and water, too.

Accordingly, one of my three priorities this year will be to help pass a productive and complete water bill in Sacramento. We cannot build a 21st century economy while relying on a Third World infrastructure! While we must balance ecosystems with economies, when the lack of a water conveyance system threatens the very survival of both, we have a problem.

My next priority is the passage of the proposition on the June 8 ballot to make the strong council/strong mayor form of government permanent for San Diego. We have made great progress as a city during the last five years because of this change in our governance.

I would like to thank the employees who make sure this city runs. It takes people to make the water flow, the trash get collected, the crime get solved, the street get fixed, the fire extinguished and the library cleaned.

In our rhetoric about who should have what, give up what or leave when, let us never forget we are all talking about people.

The concept of civility should not be a lost art. We should be able to have an honest dialogue without it deteriorating to a verbal brawl or a slander fest.

This does not mean that we will become neutered by the pabulum of political correctness. “PC” priority has resulted in the greatest period of economic and ethical deterioration since the end of the Roaring 20s. “PC” has become the social equivalent of methadone!

My predecessor, Ben Haddad, championed organized business and I think that has worked well. But this is not a zero sum game. It does not have to be at the expense of organized labor.

This brings me to my third priority – focusing on issues that affect small businesses.

The first issue is that we have a region that promotes progress for all. We must take on the world as “one San Diego” or we will lose.

We need to ensure that we have a skilled work force. While we should always continue to ensure we have world class universities, let us not forget trade schools.

Our future depends on a well-trained and well-paid, skilled labor force. We need to ensure that this community of ours values the machinist as much we value the merchant and the mathematician.

Finally, a few random thoughts.

We need to quit eating our young and destroying those who try and do good things.

We need to understand the concept of economic impact. What idiot cannot understand that you spend $1 to make $100. If we want the best future we have to be willing to work together to build it!

You want a new stadium, build it!

You want a new library, build it!

You want a new civic center, build it!

Because I guarantee you that in 140 years, the ones we have today will be dust.

Some 140 years ago, like-minded people created this organization. They won some, they lost some, but they played the game.

It is time for all of us San Diegans to pick ourselves up as one people, dust ourselves off, quit beating each other up, kick some ass and get moving again.

It is time!

This is our town!

This is our region!

It does not belong to any one group. It belongs to us all!

Cheers to our next 140 years!

Wornham is executive vice president and regional manager of Wells Fargo Bank.