For
the past year, we’ve heard you say again and again that your top
priority is jobs for California workers. Unfortunately, you are not
walking the talk.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from August, 2009 to
August 2010, thirty one states created new jobs while nineteen states
lost jobs. Texas was the big winner with 134,600 new jobs.
California was the big loser with a loss of 103,900 jobs. Utah, with
a population 1/14 the size of California created 13,800 new jobs by
targeting California’s high technology employers. The long term jobs
picture for California is even gloomier.
Our plea to the California legislature in this final week of session:
don’t make California’s jobs climate any worse. But based on your
actions so far this year, I have doubts you will hear our plea.
We’ve asked you repeatedly throughout the year to reduce the regulatory
and tax burden on California employers. I guess you weren’t
listening.
We’ve asked you to reform California’s meal & rest period law to
provide clarity and reduce unnecessary costly litigation. You didn’t
seem to care.
We’ve asked you to consider the ultimate cost to consumers and to
California’s economy when you increase the renewable portfolio
standard from 20% to 33% in SB 722. You missed the point.
We’ve asked you to leave human trafficking to the federal government
and not add an additional layer of California-only costs and
uncertainty as proposed in SB 657. You must have missed the memo.
We’ve asked you to consider the unknown, unintended consequences of
spending money you don’t have, but you’re moving forward with AB 1405
to appropriate nonexistent AB 32 cap & trade fees for pet projects
unrelated to greenhouse gas reduction. You must have another agenda.
We’ve asked you to balance California’s budget without job killing
business tax increases, but you propose billions in new taxes targeted
at employers. You don’t seem to get the concept.
You’ve granted open season for Texas, Utah and other states to poach our most valuable resources, our jobs and our industries.
In the next few days, you have the opportunity to make a difference
for California’s 2.3 million unemployed workers. Consider the
consequences.