New Community Development Director guest speaker at La Palma Chamber Breakfast

By Larry Caballero

Although Douglas Dumhart has only been La Palma’s Community Development Director for just eight weeks, it was long enough for him to get to know the community and its leaders including La Palma Chamber’s Executive Director Esther DeLeon Hernandez who invited him to be the Chamber’s guest speaker at its Jul. 21 Quarterly Networking Breakfast at the La Palma Community Hospital.
Dumhart listed numerous “confidence busters” that can impede any city’s economic development, including La Palma’s. He began with consumer confidence that is the lowest point in a year, the volatile stock market, European debt crisis, double-digit unemployment, poor wage gains and a stalled housing market.
Recently passed Congressional health care and financial services reform, as well as unresolved Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, only add to business concerns. “It’s the fear of the unknown,” said Dumhart.
“Businesses also worry about a federal deficit in the trillions and a state deficit in the billions,” said Dumhart. Nevertheless, he feels that the potential for economic growth is possible for La Palma, a two-square-mile city of 16,000 residents with a median household income of $68,438.
“It is possible, but it will take a concerted effort from residents, local businesses and the Chamber in order for outside commercial interests to recognize the advantages of moving their businesses into La Palma.”