February 27, 2009

Fresno Chamber Fights for Business

Announces its 2009 Legislative Priorities for Fresno Businesses

 

Each year, the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Council develops its legislative priorities. Each of the legislative priorities serve as the foundation for the Fresno Chamber's continuing effort to improve the regional business climate.

American Disabilities Act (ADA)
 

Support reforms that help businesses comply with the ADA access requirements.

Support measures that reduce frivolous ADA lawsuits on businesses.

Air Quality

Support measures that promote a voluntary market-based air quality programs (i.e. grants, emissions trading, tax incentives and vehicle scrappage).

Provide recommendations that offset the cost of imposing more expensive measures on both mobile and stationary sources.

Support economically viable alternative energy measures that give businesses reasonable choices.

Support development of infrastructure for distribution and use of long-term viable alternative fuels.

AB 32 Global Warming Initiative

Monitor policies that support the AB 32 Implementation Group, specifically to encourage and support policies that will not adversely impact the competitiveness of California businesses.

City and County Budget

Encourage budgets that “live within” the City and County means.

Encourage a planning process that includes five-year projections of revenue/spending.

Taxes & Fees in City Budget

Sales tax and business utility tax increases will be reviewed on a case by case basis by the GAC.

Encourage and participate in City and County efforts to consolidate services.

Review, evaluate and make recommendations regarding employee compensation salary and benefit packages.

Evaluate all fee increase proposals and support only fee increases consistent with the efficient provision of those services.

Class Action Fairness
 

Provide recommendations and monitor reforms of the state class action system to ensure timely compensation for plaintiffs when real harm is demonstrated and offer protection against the frivolous lawsuits.

Economic Development

Support private enterprise and development projects that enhance economic development and job growth.

Support business assistance programs.

Support efforts to revitalize downtown Fresno

Education

Support an educational system that prepares our future workforce for jobs and careers including career path development beginning in middle school.

Support programs encouraging or enabling internships for young adults.

Support and promote programs that provide incentives for local companies to hire vocational students.

Support and promote vocational programs at the high school and post-secondary levels.

Eminent Domain

Advocate that redevelopment agencies strictly follow the requirements of law in analyzing and utilizing eminent domain.

Support private property rights and the use of eminent domain as a last resort.

Monitor the use of eminent domain on a case-by-case basis.

Energy

Support policies that include coordinating grid management with other Western States and to support efficient new grid technologies.

Support market reform with policies that enable and encourage investments in new generation by utility and non-utility participants in order to assure adequate supply and capacity.

Support measures that initiate the full cost recovery for utilities to ensure utilities are fiscally sound and not at risk of bankruptcy.

Support measures that invest in new transmission and transmission upgrades.

Support policies that are dedicated to load reduction.

Support measures that lower the price of energy paid by customers.

Support exploration of energy alternatives and the use of renewable energy.

Support policies that allow generating customers to be financially compensated for excess energy loaded onto the grid.

Government-Mandated Wages

Support free market determination of wages for all employees.

Support unbundling exempt salaries from minimum wage increases and any automatic escalation of wages tied to the cost of living indexes.

Support elimination of daily overtime and promote return to a weekly overtime standard.

Support the inclusion of tips in calculating minimum wages.

Support flexibility for employers and employees to mutually set meal and break periods and a flexible workweek.

Oppose local living wage ordinances.

Support the reform of prevailing wage laws on public works projects.

Oppose the use of Project Labor Agreements for public works projects.

Health Care

Oppose measures that create a mandatory, tax-funded, government-operated health insurance programs.

Oppose employer-mandated health coverage and work to preserve the current voluntary employer-provided health care coverage system.

Support legislation that allows employers to offer a minimum benefit plan, enabling small employers and their employees to buy health care coverage at a more affordable price.

Support measures that implement a moratorium on benefit mandates.

Support measures that streamline government regulations to increase efficiencies and reduce overall administrative burdens.

Monitor state funding for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to providers of health care and fight future attempts to further cut reimbursement rates.

Support measures that promote wellness and disease management education programs.

Oppose measures that place unfunded mandates on hospitals.

Immigration

Creates a guest worker program that is comprehensive, addressing both future economic needs for workers and deals with the status of undocumented workers already in the United States.

Strengthens national security by providing for thorough screening of foreign workers and creating strong disincentives for illegal immigration.

Creates an employment verification system that is fast and reliable for employers and those seeking employment.

Ensures that all workers enjoy the same labor law protections. Only by bringing undocumented workers out of the shadows can we protect them from unscrupulous employers who might exploit them.

Ensure all individuals trying to become permanent residents/citizens can demonstrate knowledge of the English language and American civic requirements.

Land Use/Development

Monitor state mandated housing allocations and support policies that minimize the cost of development.

Support cost-effective building standards that minimize air pollution, energy use and water consumption.

Support subdivision standards that conform to the policies of Landscape of Choice.

Support policies that promote affordable housing.

Support policies that promote future land development to achieve the Greater Fresno area’s business attraction and retention.

Support mixed-use, higher density development.

Support the Williamson Act Program.

Support land use, planning, housing and zoning issues that encourage and promote business development in the greater Fresno area business community.
 

Monitor policies that impact the Greater Fresno area development fees to ensure economic vitality.
 

Monitor any amendments to the general plan and provide recommendations as needed.
 

Monitor the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint

Paid Family Leave
 

Support measures that reduce the confusion and conflicts between current state and federal leave laws and the Paid Family Leave Program.

Review proposals to suspend the state’s Paid Family Leave Program law and to have an auditor review the plans for funding the program to ensure the actual costs of the Program are covered.

Support policies that enact a small employer exemption from the Family Temporary Disability Insurance (FTDI) program.

Political Action/Campaign Financing

Support Chamber programs to identify, recruit and educate candidates for local offices, without regard to political affiliation.

Support efforts to make California elections more competitive by reforming the highly politicized process of drawing state legislative and congressional districts.

Oppose policies that spend taxpayer dollars on political campaigns.

Oppose policies that assess a tax or other fees on businesses to fund political campaigns.

State Budget

Provide state budget recommendations that promote a healthy economy, government efficiency, fiscal responsibility, and California competitiveness.

Generally oppose new programs/plans and enhancement of existing programs/plans/benefits that do not have reasonable funding sources or that will result in increased taxes.

Set spending limits on an annual basis.

Multi-Year Fiscal Planning- Develop two-year economic forecasts anticipating changes in revenue and requiring budget decisions to recognize gaps.

Establish a rainy day reserve out of excess revenues taken in by the state each year.

Allow Mid-Year reductions.

Support legislation that causes State Legislators to lose salary and per diem if the budget is not passed by the required date with no retroactive payment of such salary and benefits.

Telecommunications

Provide recommendations to policymakers, telecommunications providers and regulators on regulations, structure, and developments in California’s marketplace.

Tourism

Support a stronger relationship between the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) serving Fresno County and the City and County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) to advertise and enhance the image of the Fresno region.

Support the creation of an enhanced program to market local businesses to convention hosts.

Support efforts to increase funding for the CVB to promote tourism and to recruit conventions to our community.

Transportation

Support measures that provide solutions that repair the local, regional, and state transportation infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner.

Support the development of transportation infrastructure to accommodate future economic and population growth.

Provide input on the prioritization of Measure C projects in an effort to address high priority projects and maximize the leveraging of funds where applicable.

Airport

Monitor the economic impact of fee increases at publicly owned airports in the greater Fresno area. .

Support policies that maintain the necessary expansion and maintenance of an inspection facility at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

Support increases of needed carriers.

High Speed Rail

Support a High-Speed Rail Train System concept for intercity travel in California.

Highway 99

Support efforts to achieve interstate designation for Highway 99.

Unemployment Insurance (UI)

Provide recommendations that address the UI Trust Fund’s solvency crises and stimulates the economy.

Support measures implementing structural reforms to the UI system to help offset higher employer UI taxes caused by the recent enactment of multi-year UI benefit increases.

Unfair Competition Law

Support reform measures that rein in predatory legal practices. Support policies that protect businesses and consumers from unfair business practices.

Water

Support measures that include the elements of the water policy as adopted by the Board of Directors in January of 2007.

Workers Compensation

Oppose changes that reverse the Workers’ Compensation Act of 2004.

Support workers’ compensation reform measures that reduce financial impact to business.
 

Contact Kerri Ginis, the Chamber's Government Affairs Manager for more information at (559) 495-4818 or kginis@fresnochamber.com