Each year at this time, the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce heads to Washington DC
with nearly 300 delegates in tow to advocate for California's Capital region in what is called
the Capital-to-Capital trip, or to the locals, Cap-to-Cap. 

The effort brings together a team that includes local elected officials, public sector officials
and representatives from business and industry all in the effort to  learn and share information
about opportunities to working with federal government officials in the nation's capital.

                                                             
                                                                   Matt Mahood, CEO
                                                         Sacramento Metro Chamber

This year the event is no different.  Matt Mahood, CEO of the Chamber identified that there are 50
elected officials and dozens of staff members from various cities, counties and special districts
along with business and labor leaders on the trip.

Matt reports that in just 2 and half days  the delegation has had nearly 220 individual meetiings
with members of congress, representatives from federal agencies and the administration.

The delegation has advocated 91 seperate policy issues and items associated with appropriations.
In addition, they have meet with at least four membes of the House of  Representatives, Lungren,
Matsui, Thompson, McClintock. 

They recieved briefings by Secrertary of Transportation, Ray LaHood and from National Economic
Councilmember Lawrence Summers.

Mahood identified that they have met with 33 separate congressional offices, 63 different federal
agencies and 20 different congressional committees.

While no definite information is available about the outcomes form the trip, previous trips have yielded
signficant return such as the 2005 retention of Beale Air Force Base during the Base Realignment
and Closure process and the acquisition of fedeal funds for the completion (recent) of the bridge
around the Folsom Lake Dam.