Vann gets US Chamber of Commerce support

Kim Vann, a candidate for the 3rd District Congressional seat, speaks at an event at Jelly Belly on Monday, where she was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. At left is Dick Castner, the executive director for the western regional office for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (Brad Zweerink/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — Congressional candidate Kim Vann collected the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Monday with the Jelly Belly Candy Company as the background.

“We need people like Kim in Congress,” said Jelly Belly CEO Herman Rowland.

The announcement was made with a dozen members of local chambers of commerce and businesses present who listened as Dick Castner, director of the U.S. chamber’s western region office, lauded Vann for her private small business roots.

“This is the best possible deal for business and fixing the economy,” Castner said. “The choice in this congressional district could not be clearer.”

Vann, a Republican, is a member of the Colusa County Board of Supervisors. She faces incumbent Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, in the Nov. 6 election in the new 3rd Congressional District.

Castner described Garamendi as a lifelong political regulator whose past government positions had no foundation in creating jobs.

“If you want to throw up impediments to business and the economy, John Garamendi is your guy,” Castner said.

Vann said it would be an honor to represent the business community if she gets elected to Congress this fall. She said that her talks with local small business owners showed that they are fearful of additional government regulation and how it will affect the future of their businesses.

Vann said businesses are not hiring because they do not know what regulations will do to them. The government needs to grow business and close down the regulators, she said.

“I want to bring businesses back to Solano County,” Vann said. “We not only want them here, we need them here and we need to get government out of the way.”

Vann said that different parts of the district have unemployment numbers that range between 11 percent and 20 percent.

Chantelle Martin of Martin Metal Fabricating said that her business is being “hit from all directions and we have put our dreams on hold because of that.”

“We would like to expand, but regulations have made it impossible,” Martin said.

Vann agreed with Martin’s concerns. She said that regulations are “eating us alive.”

Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or ithompson@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ithompsondr.

Ian Thompson

Ian Thompson has worked for the Daily Republic longer than he cares to remember. A native of Oregon and a graduate of the University of Oregon, he pines for the motherland still. He covers Vacaville and Travis Air Force Base for the Daily Republic. He is an avid military history buff, wargamer and loves the great outdoors.

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