Don’t Delay Programs to Grow Manufacturing Jobs in CA
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This sage advice should be followed as lawmakers consider extending two pro-manufacturing bills this year. The first provides funds for workforce skills training, the second encourages new manufacturing equipment purchases. Both are important to support manufacturers who pay $83,000 salaries on average and provide a middle class lifestyle for hundreds of […]
California’s manufacturing and recycling economy
When “manufacturing” is mentioned, you likely picture a factory with products rolling off an assembly line. But there are many off-site functions that are not as obvious as a large plant in an industrial park. One of these is recycling: manufacturers are the biggest consumers of material recycled from end-of-life products and industrial scrap. In 2014 […]
Pay Attention to Manufacturing in the Climate Debate
In the wake of the Legislature passing new climate change bills this week, Governor Brown was asked about the impact on jobs. Part of his answer was “Manufacturing has been declining as a part of the American workforce for decades, and the decline in America generally is very similar to California.” Manufacturing is actually thriving […]
Can’t Fix Climate Change by Punishing Manufacturers
At least AB 32, our climate change bill passed in 2006, recognized that California alone can’t fix climate change and that higher costs only in California will hurt jobs, the economy and even the environment. So AB 32 included important features to keep regulations affordable and meet a 2020 goal. Now there is a push […]
Collaborative Leadership Needed on Climate Policy
When the Legislature returns in next Monday, our Senators and Assemblymembers should think carefully when considering another climate change bill, namely SB 32. They rejected the bill last year and many organizations continue to oppose the bill this year, for good reason. There has been no meaningful engagement with stakeholders to develop legislation that would […]
High Costs Of Climate Change Policies Don’t Help California Manufacturing
Next 10 released an issue brief “California’s Manufacturing and Benefits of Energy Efficiency” (September 3, 2015) in which they engage in magical thinking to conclude that California manufacturers enjoy a competitive advantage and are prospering due to California’s ambitious energy and climate policies. They highlight four facts in support of this conclusion, repeated below with […]
New Senate Bills will Add to Cost Burden on Businesses
As our state continues its effort to reduce GHG emissions, California manufacturers continue to do their part in improving the environment in the face of higher operational costs, including electricity costs that are 70 percent more expensive than the rest of the country. Two bills in the Senate Democrat’s climate change package — SB 350 […]
Why What CEO’s Think Matters
California is still the worst place to do business according to the 11th annual survey of CEOs conducted by Chief Executive magazine. It is very disappointing, but not a surprise, as we see CEO’s voting against California by dedicating few manufacturing investments to the state. Last year California attracted only two percent of manufacturing investments made in the US. When […]
A Growing MFG Economy Would Be A Powerful Message For CA Climate Change Leadership
I enjoyed speaking on a climate change panel this week hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). The topic is important to manufacturers because they are sensitive to high energy costs, and we can expect ever higher energy costs when state climate change rules go into full effect. Other states are watching to see if […]
Qualification of Referendum Shows Public Opposes Plastic Bags Ban
The California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) supports sensible policies to promote recycling and responsible waste management. SB 270 fails this test by imposing a ban on plastic bags rather than encouraging recycling, and by charging an unwarranted paper bag fee that will not go toward environmental protection. This heavy-handed approach will likely cause manufacturing […]