Okay... so this is the seventh city the group has visited trying to figure out what makes other cities click. I wonder if it is because they having functioning city governments? Perhaps the group should be looking at why Sacramento DOESN'T work rather than spending time looking at cities that do. Those trips have obviously accomplished little.

Actually, the annual trips have accomplished much. Recent Metro Chamber Study Missions visiting great American cities helped launch some important regional initiatives that are now producing remarkable results:

• The SACOG award-winning Blueprint project was a direct outgrowth of the study mission to look at Salt Lake City and the Envision Utah smart growth strategy.

• Visits to San Diego and Indianapolis helped shape the concept of Partnership for Prosperity, which ultimately helped our region work collaboratively to define our needs around “People, Business and Place.”

• In Charlotte we saw how to sustain and grow regional businesses and jobs by directly connecting economic development experts with business. The Metro Chamber and 15 local agencies launched the Metro Pulse business retention and expansion program. Since 2007, it has visited more than 1,300 businesses.

• Last year's visit to San Antonio convinced us to study our region's health care/bio sciences sector and we are soon releasing an economic impact report that shows how it drives our economy via $33+ billion impact.

As we sort through an unsettling time, the search for “The Next Big Thing” will define our future. The Metro Chamber's annual State of the Region Forum on Sept.18 will host a panel of regional thought-leaders who will interactively discuss our challenges, our opportunities and how we can collaboratively work together to address our region’s needs.

What will make us strong and better prepared for our future? What collaboration needs to happen to be successful regionally? The public can be part of the discussion. Register online at http://www.metrochamber.org/events.

I'm sorry but that these trips are a load of BS. Our so-called business and civic leaders go around the country and pretend to be doing something worthwhile (to justify their jobs?) I get the impression that our big fishes in this small pond are just incapable of coming up with their own good ideas (and they certainly do not trust the residents to come any because that would just show everyone how lame they really are). ohhh yet another economic impact report *YAWN* ... look'n for the 'The Next Big Thing' ... BS blather ..and nothing will get done except another useless report.

I like that the writer used the term 'Eco" make sure you always throw that in to justify wasting money, people around here will always look the other way.

At least the taxpeyers are not footing the bill this time.

Perhaps listening to a participant who attended a Study Mission demonstrates the value for the region of this kind of exercise. News & Review publisher Jeff Von Kaenel eloquently describes his experience from the Vancouver event in the 09/03 edition: http://bit.ly/fr4xc