ARTICLE
Last week in Sacramento, Michael Wynn Song was presented with the Small Business Advocate of the Year award from the California Chamber of Commerce. Michael was one of only three people in the entire state to be given the award. Over the years Michael has frequently invested many hours in our local city council chambers to represent the interest of businesses in our community. In 2016 Mr. Wynn Song was an advocate for two particular issues. Michael Wynn Song waited in a packed community room for hours when the California Energy Commission conducted hearings on NRG Energy's proposal to replace an aging power generating facility with a new state-of-the-art plant called the Puente Power Project. This was not Michael's first testimony in favor of the project. He also spoke before the California Public Utilities Commission the year prior. It's not always comfortable to publicly support a power plant proposed to be built on the beach, but Michael was quite passionate about the need for reliable and affordable energy for businesses that provide jobs in the community. To make it even more challenging, many of Michael's neighbors were in the audience voicing their opposition to the project. Michael was quite vocal when addressing the Oxnard City Council regarding the extension of egregious land use restrictions in and around our city. Known as Save Our Agricultural Resources (SOAR) which the voters approved in the 1990's, the city council was considering placing an extension measure on the 2016 ballot. Proponents were requesting the extension to go through 2050. The Chamber was advocating for an extension through 2030 to coincide with the city's general plan. Michael testified at the council meeting about how the needs of small businesses are quickly and constantly changing and restricting land uses for the next 35 years was much too long. Mr. Wynn Song is a champion for small businesses and has traveled to Sacramento with the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce several times in recent years. Congratulations, Michael!!!