Politics, like romance, involves interest, commitment, and an active pursuit. Unfortunately, for California, there seems to be no love for private sector jobs. If California intends to recover from its own economic and fiscal problems, problems that started before the national recession, then the California Legislature needs to show some interest and action to retain employers and encourage new employers to come to the state.
The advertising campaigns by other states are gaining a lot of attention and even generating responses from our elected officials. These states are clearly interested in luring California companies to relocate to their state. They use the national surveys of business leaders that rate California as one of the worst states for business. California leaders are responding to this perception problem by denying that quality jobs are leaving the state and claiming that once the national recession is over, California will once again become the magnet for companies that want to build and produce. However, the facts just do not support that contention.
Just look at the opportunities that exist for teenagers graduating from high school. Does anyone really believe that the state’s business environment lends itself to the re-establishment of a base of skilled jobs in the future, as we once had in the automobile, aerospace or logistics sectors? A strong economic base is dependent on those high-wage jobs, bookended by service industry and white-collar jobs, to create a stable tax base and structurally sound economy. Is California realistically creating an environment that will attract new jobs in the logistics or manufacturing industries?
All over the country — except for California — the pursuit of the goods movement industry has moved from active pursuit to infatuation. There are cooperative efforts between state and local governments in partnership with the goods movement industry to facilitate the modernization of the transportation system and to develop long-term plans that merge both environmental and economic growth goals. Unfortunately for California, we are mired in a political and regulatory system that defines these goals as mutually exclusive of one another.
Just a few years ago a few self ordained representatives of port communities and even some elected officials stated that California would be better off if the port businesses went away or at least was limited to cargo destined for California. Unfortunately, the state’s approach to the industry still reflects that attitude. Rather than collaborating with an industry that contributes hundreds of thousands of jobs and much needed revenue to the state, the approach has been to demonize the entire industry and make compliance with the state and local laws a difficult and confusing process. Businesses are faced with a state that has different rules than the federal government; the local governments have different rules than the state; and local governments have different rules from each other. It is difficult and almost impossible to retain and attract business to California in a regulatory system that is convoluted, conflicted and confusing.
This type of business environment certainly does not serve the families of people who work in the goods movement industry and whose livelihood depends on a strong recovery. The international recession has caused a major reduction in employment for all sectors in goods movement industry across all job classifications. Longshoremen, truckers, senior executives, warehouse and railroad workers have either seen work hours reduced or been laid off. The jobs lost are high quality, highly compensated positions that provided many families a path to achieve the American dream. Now, that future is uncertain.
Will all the goods movement jobs and business activity return to California after the national recession is over? Well, that will depend on California’s approach to business and the actions the state takes to make business a valued partner rather than the enemy. Other states are promoting environmental progress and economic growth as co-equal goals and showing their interest in partnering with business. Strong jobs create the tax base to pay for the state’s programs. It’s time California showed them some love.