ABOUT TUCSON FIRST

WHO WE ARE:

The Tucson First Coalition is a nonpartisan group of small business owners and principles dedicated to improving the business community in Southern Arizona.   Tucson First focuses solely on economic issues facing small business.  Our membership represents the diverse business community found in Southern Arizona from small 2-3 man shops to mid-size employers of several hundred employees. 

Tucson First has no formal corporate structure or executive chairperson.   Tucson First is an informal group of business owners that voluntarily meet as private citizens who are focused on improving our community.   All members have the choice to publicly demonstrate their affiliation to the group or elect to remain anonymous due to concerns of business reprisals. 

Tucson First is about action.

Tucson First identified the Tucson City Council elections as a political means to improve the Tucson business climate. Tucson First contacted the Republican Party to get involved in influencing the 2009 council elections and found very little options. Tucson First contacted the Tea Party organization and with their help financed and launched the TEP Tucson Last Stand event on October 11th, 2009. The event drew over 6000 participants on the very weekend voters received their early ballots. We support the Tea Party's grass roots efforts and share many but not all of their intended goals. Tucson First Coalition is focused on local fixes to strengthening the business climate in Tucson and Pima County.

WHAT IS OUR OBJECTIVE?

It is our belief that political corruption and influence peddling, inept private and public sector leadership, and good-ole-boy protectionism has hurt our local business community.  Our objective is to restore economic prosperity to the Tucson / Pima County Region.  We identify areas that need improvement and actively move forward to restore sound economic principles. It is our belief that a strong business community helps all Arizonans with prosperity, jobs, and sense of community.  

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Sunday Courier – Nov. 16th 1997
Prescott Arizona
 
Year Round Tourism Goal at Fall Chamber Retreat
By Timothy Callahan
 
……Jack Camper, CEO and president of the Greater Tucson Chamber of Commerce spoke during the morning session. In sharing the experiences of the Tucson chamber, he mentioned the importance of choosing the best leaders to serve on the board.

”The captains of industry must steer the ship,” Camper said. “Chambers are having a mid-life crisis. We can either soar or flounder.”

Camper suggested the board needs to include decision makers who don’t need to check with anyone before deciding on an issue.
 
With 3300 due-paying members, the Greater Tucson Chamber is the largest in the state, Camper said. .....

Attention Captains Of Industry.... your membership in the past ten years has fallen from 3300 down to 1700.  Tucson is the one with a mid life crisis. Time to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.