The Oliver Hotel concierge Damion Huntoon works at the front desk of the downtown Knoxville boutique hotel on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. The hospitality industry is projected to have the greatest demand for workers in the Knoxville area in 2023. Kns Winter Jobs Bp
San Diego, California – San Diego’s business community is preparing to step more firmly into the political arena after a bruising fight over wages at City Hall. Chris Cate, the new CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and a former city councilmember, says his organization will be “unapologetically pro-business” in the months ahead — even if it means clashing with city leaders who just approved a $25 minimum wage for tourism workers.
The city council’s unanimous vote marked a major win for labor groups and hospitality workers, who packed council chambers to argue that higher pay was necessary in one of the country’s most expensive housing markets. The move also prevented a drawn-out referendum battle that might have delayed the wage hike. For the Chamber, though, it was another example of what Cate describes as piecemeal policymaking that overlooks the broader forces driving up the cost of living in San Diego.
In an interview with NBC 7, Cate argued that targeting a single sector — in this case tourism and hospitality — risks punishing the very industry that fuels much of San Diego’s economy. Hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues are not only tourist magnets, he said, but also everyday staples for local residents. Raising wages in that sector, Cate warned, doesn’t fall neatly on visitors. “If you go to a Padres game, if you eat at a restaurant attached to a hotel, if you rent a kayak on the bay, these are experiences San Diegans enjoy,” he said. “It’s not true that only tourists will feel the impact.”
Cate, who was the last Republican to sit on the city council, frames the Chamber’s opposition less as an ideological fight than as a push for consistency. He points to rising water rates, housing construction fees, and other city charges as examples of hidden costs that eat away at the same families cheering wage increases. “If you’re applauding higher pay,” he said, “you should also speak up when monthly bills keep climbing.”
Instead of industry-by-industry wage mandates, Cate says the city should focus on structural solutions — most notably housing. He has pressed for streamlining development rules, cutting fees, and easing the process for child-care providers, all measures he argues would bring down costs for working families and business owners alike. Progress has been made, Cate acknowledges, but he insists the council cannot take one step forward on housing and then pile on new fees that cancel out the gains.
The wage hike will roll out regardless, but Cate says the Chamber won’t sit quietly on the sidelines. He vows to make the organization more visible in policy debates, and more involved in campaigns, with a mission to stand behind San Diego’s small businesses — which make up the vast majority of the local economy. “Business owners are the people coaching Little League and serving on nonprofit boards,” Cate said. “They shouldn’t be demonized.”
With the 2026 election cycle already on the horizon, Cate signaled the Chamber will be active in shaping the conversation — holding Democrats and Republicans alike accountable if they fall short on housing or small business support. “Our North Star is what’s best for business owners,” he said. “That’s not up for debate.”
