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 January 20,
2010
Chamber Sets Ambitious Policy Platform For 2010
The Long Beach Chamber's Annual
Policy Platform serves as guiding principles when tracking local
and statewide legislation and issues that might impact the Long
Beach business community. It also allows the Chamber's
Government Affairs Council to take a position on any issue
impacting our business community as long as it aligns with the
Platform.
2010 Long Beach Chamber
Policy Platform
Pro-Jobs Leadership
Provide
sound public
policy so
that the
Long Beach
Chamber’s
political
action
committee
can support
candidates
who champion
pro-jobs
legislation.
Monitor and
make
recommendations
on selection
and the
filling of
vacant key
city
commission
and board
appointments.
Encourage
and support
pro-business
candidates
and members
to be
involved in
local boards
and
commissions.
Take an
active role
in working
and
educating
elected
officials
regarding
proposed
business
legislation
that has an
impact on
the business
community.
Infrastructure
Improvements
Monitor and
develop
recommendations
as necessary
regarding
the long
term
improvement
efforts to
the I-710
Long Beach
Freeway.
Engage the
Chamber
membership
and
leadership
in policy
discussions
with local,
state and
federal
representative
as it
pertains to
options to
funding
I-710
improvements.
Continue to
monitor and
support
infrastructure
changes to
the Gerald
Desmond
Bridge.
Encourage
and
recommend,
where
appropriate,
the
application
of
innovative
technologies
to improve
the movement
of goods and
people in
the city and
greater
region.
Support
legislation
that
enhances
business
climate.
Support
improvements
to major
Long Beach
corridors to
enhance
economic
development
and provide
a positive
image of the
city.
Support the
EIR
recommended
proposed
improvement
project at
the Long
Beach
Airport.
Support all
efforts to
maximize and
demonstrate
the economic
potential of
the Long
Beach
Airport
within the
existing
Airport
Noise
Compatibility
Ordinance.
Support
efforts to
maximize
potential
for job
creation and
growth at
the Long
Beach
Airport and
vicinity
within the
existing
Airport
Noise
Compatibility
Ordinance.
Monitor
state and
federal
airline
industry
legislation.
Monitor
federal,
state, and
local
aviation
industry
legislation
that might
impact Long
Beach
Airport and
airports
within the
region.
Support
efforts to
implement
seawater
desalination
and support
efforts to
increase the
water supply
for Long
Beach and
Southern
California.
Partner with
Long Beach
Transit and
the
Metropolitan
Transportation
Authority to
ensure a
reliable,
useful,
sustainable
and cost
effective
transportation
and
regulatory
system.
Study and
develop
modern needs
infrastructure
energy and
the State
water plan
and related
policy
positions as
it relates
to the
business and
residential
community.
Support
development
of modern
utility
infrastructure
in the city.
Support
efforts to
increase
funding for
seismic
infrastructure
upgrades.
Taxation
and
Government
Finance
Take an
active role
in
preserving
and
expanding
the
enterprise
zone’s
benefits to
employers
and
employees
within the
city.
Support and
recommend
ways to
privatize
cost
effective
government
services and
public
contracts
while
maintaining
or improving
standards.
Support
alternatives
to state and
local tax
increases
and new tax
categories
affecting
the Long
Beach
business
community.
Solicit
state and
federal
programs to
secure
business tax
credits for
targeted
work
training
programs.
Attract
investors to
Long Beach
by seeking
ways to
offer tax
exemptions.
Employee
Relations
Oppose and
recommend
alternatives
to state
minimum wage
increases
and any
local or
state living
wage
ordinances.
Monitor and
provide
recommendations
to new
workers’
compensation
reform
measures to
reduce costs
to
businesses.
Monitor and
provide
recommendations
to reduce
health care
costs
without
reducing
quality for
employers.
Support and
promote,
when
appropriate,
the
preparation
of
cost/benefit
analysis
ensuring
economic
impacts are
weighed
before the
imposition
of
regulatory
statutes.
Monitor new
legislation
to regulate
employer and
employee
relations.
Support the
development
of workforce
housing.
Monitor and
provide
recommended
alternatives
to payroll
taxes and
state
unemployment
taxes.
Support
revisions to
the state’s
restrictive
wage/hour
laws and
regulations.
Education
and
Diversity
Support and
promote the
welfare-to-work
process
though
legislation
that
provides for
training,
tax credits
and other
incentives
that assist
local
businesses.
Support and
promote
training
programs
that provide
incentives
for local
companies to
hire
vocational
students.
Work with
the local
educational
systems and
support
legislation
that
provides for
a well
trained
flexible
workforce in
the Long
Beach
region.
Work with
the local
educational
systems and
legislators
to reduce
unfunded
mandatory
requirements.
Support
programs
encouraging
or enabling
internships
for youth.
Assist the
Chamber’s
Workforce
Diversity
Committee as
it pertains
to state,
local, and
federal
policy
priorities
and assist
in the
Diversity
Committee’s
efforts to
provide a
voice in
policy
development.
Support the
Long Beach
Workforce
Development
Board’s
plans to
meet the
needs of
local
employers
and to
promote
quality jobs
and wages
and decrease
poverty.
Support
efforts to
maintain
seamless
education
between all
systems of
education.
Support
efforts to
enrich the
lives of all
Long Beach
residents
through
increased
investments
in the arts.
Linking
Business
with
Government
Monitor
local and
statewide
legislation
as it
pertains to
policy
priorities
and
communicate
the
information
to the
Chamber
membership.
Support
programs
that
identify the
issues
facing our
community
neighborhoods,
integrate
government
resources,
and work
with
community
leadership
to improve
the quality
of work life
for the
residents of
Long Beach.
Monitor and
oppose Long
Beach’s
prevailing
wage policy
for city
funded
projects.
Continue the
service for
members to
email their
federal,
state, and
local
representatives
to provide
support or
opposition
letters to
legislative
issues.
Improve the
working
relationship
with local,
state and
federal
representatives.
Simplify
advocacy
efforts with
the city
council by
providing
concise
position
papers on
various
issues
impacting
the business
community.
Continue
with
periodic
breakfast
events
linking the
business
community
with local
elected
leaders and
city hall
staff.
Participate
in the city
budget
process as
it pertains
to business,
resource
issues and
finding
alternatives
to increases
in fines,
penalties
and fees for
businesses.
Work to
ensure that
preferences
for city
contracts
are awarded
to Long
Beach
businesses.
Limit
government
from
shifting
program
costs from
the city
general fund
to
businesses.
Partner with
local
chambers
when
appropriate
to develop
and
coordinate a
yearly
lobbying
trip to
Sacramento
and
Washington
DC for
chamber
members.
Communicate
with
individual
City Council
districts
and business
associations
to identify
areas of
concern and
develop
partnerships.
Coordinate
opportunities
when
appropriate
for the
Chamber
membership
to attend
city council
meetings to
offer advice
on business
related
agenda
items.
Seek
opportunities
with local,
state and
federal
representatives
to highlight
the City of
Long Beach
as a
friendly
place to do
business.
International
Trade
Support
projects in
the Port of
Long Beach
that
improves
efficiency
and address
tourism and
technology
for the
betterment
of the
business
community.
Monitor
environmental
issues
facing the
Port of Long
Beach and
the Port of
Los Angeles
and its
effect on
the Long
Beach
business
community.
Monitor
ongoing
post-9/11
Port
security
assessments
and
recommendations
to the Board
of Harbor
Commissioners.
Monitor and
establish
positions on
local,
state, and
federal
legislation
that affect
the Port of
Long Beach.
Work with
the Port of
Long Beach
to promote
trade
opportunities
with foreign
countries.
Support
cooperation
between the
port,
government,
and the
community.
Economic
Development
Support
private
enterprise
and
development
projects
within Long
Beach and
the region
to enhance
economic
development.
Support
business
attraction.
Support
business
retention
and growth.
Support
small and/or
disadvantaged
business
assistance
programs
(grants,
loans,
workshops,
etc.)
Support
efforts to
reform
tort/frivolous
lawsuits
related to
businesses.
Monitor and
be involved
in the
general plan
update (land
use,
planning,
housing and
zoning)
issues that
affect the
business
community.
Monitor and
focus on
targeted
industry
clusters:
healthcare,
energy,
education,
trade,
transportation
and
professional
services.
Encourage
city policy
to support
tourism and
enhance the
city’s
image.
Support the
implementation
of
development
which
benefits the
city and of
the City of
Long Beach’s
Jobs and
Business
Strategy.
Assist
efforts in
Long Beach
to mitigate,
end and
prevent
homelessness
by:
- supporting
job
development,
mentoring/job-shadowing,
as well as
other
programs to
assist with
the
transition
from
homelessness
to
workplace.
- empowering
the
Homelessness
Sub-Committee
to work with
developers,
builders,
and other
industries
to
diligently
lead the
business
community in
identifying
alternatives
to new fees
on business
and
mandatory
housing
provisions.
- joining
with the
City of Long
Beach and
other
organizations
working to
alleviate
the human
and economic
conditions
that
contribute
to
homelessness
in Long
Beach.
- promoting
appropriate
workforce
housing
developments
to suit the
needs of the
community
and support
housing
policies,
specifically,
from a
business
perspective.
- supporting
and
promoting
efforts to
implement
the City of
Long Beach’s
plan to end
homelessness.
- seeking
ways to
provide
mental
health
options for
those
individuals
who may
require such
attention.
Healthcare
Oppose
attempts to
create
government
run
healthcare
insurance
programs and
instead
support
efforts to
ease the
regulatory
burdens on
business
that
discourage
participation
in employer
sponsored
healthcare
plans.
Support
initiatives
which
streamline
government
regulations
to increase
efficiency
and reduce
overall
administrative
burdens.
Support a
moratorium
on further
attempts by
the state to
place
unfunded
mandates on
hospitals,
for example,
nurse ratios
Support and
promote the
reduction of
paperwork
and
administrative
cost.
Support
legislation
that leads
to
malpractice
and tort
reform.
Support
federal and
state
reforms that
allow small
businesses
to obtain
group
coverage and
increased
advantages
from tax
deductible
medical care
saving
accounts and
association
plans.
Environment
Oversee
environmental
issues and
recommend
support for
policies
(such as the
“Green Port
Policy”)
that protect
human health
and the
environment,
and ensure
fair and
financially
responsible
implementation
of
environmental
policy
through
reasoned
cost/benefit
analysis.
Encourage
the creation
of
environmentally
sound
policies
that reward
– such as
business tax
exempts -
responsible
business
practices.
Support
programs
that provide
businesses
with energy
saving
advice and
instruction
and do not
target
California
industries
with
unreasonable
mandates.
Support
efforts that
help
businesses
develop and
transfer new
technology.
Seek ways to
establish
realistic
environmental
goals and
encourage
industries
to
participate
in reducing
overall
greenhouse
gas
emissions.
Encourage
the
cost-effective
utilization
of recycled
water where
it complies
with local
health
department
guidelines
and
regulations
and is
cost-effective.
Oppose
attempts to
pass
policies and
programs
that would
eliminate
job creation
and/or
business
expansion
and
sustainability
by way of
unsound
policies
that do not
have fact
based or
data driven
benefit
analysis.
Encourage
more
detailed
impacts on
business,
jobs and
consumers
when
environmental
legislation
is proposed.
Public
Pension
Reform
Seek ways to
balance the
current
obligations
with future
obligations
to public
employees.
Find
solutions to
the ongoing
increases of
public
pension
systems in
order to
prevent
bankruptcy.
Educate
members on
the
potential
hazards of
an out of
control
pension
system and
what it
means to the
City of Long
Beach and
the business
community in
the future.
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2010 Strategic Initiatives
The Chamber has
defined three specific public policy goals to be accomplished in
2010:
1. Business Regulations
The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce will support efforts to
reform regulations at all levels of government that negatively
impact job creation and retention. The Chamber will secure
reasonable solutions in order to balance business interests with
the creation of new regulations and protect the Long Beach
business community from burdensome regulations and tax
increases. The Chamber will focus its primary efforts on, but
not limited to: healthcare reform, project labor agreements, cap
and trade, the implementation of AB 32, and climate change.
2. Job Creation and Retention
The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce will identify public
policy barriers to job creation and business retention
throughout Long Beach. The Chamber, with the help of regional
organizations, will proactively seek solutions to stimulate the
local economy and protect Long Beach businesses from
unreasonable costs to employers. The Chamber will work with
elected officials at all levels of government to support
solutions to job creation and business retention challenges. The
Chamber will focus its primary efforts on, but not limited to,
the aviation industry, maritime and international trade
industries, seeking assistance for businesses from American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Small Business Administration
loans and guarantees, reforming government at all levels of
government, and preventing new tax and fee categories and
increases to current taxes and fees.
3. Education
The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce will support efforts to
maintain a high level of educational quality at California State
University - Long Beach, Long Beach City College and Long Beach
Unified School District. The Chamber will support educational
training programs and internships that will allow Long Beach
businesses to meet future workforce demands. The Chamber will
seek ways to make sure educational spending is used effectively
for enhancing student outcomes. The Chamber will focus its
primary efforts on, but not limited to, improving accountability
measures, workforce and college readiness, improve fiscal
transparency and effectiveness, ensure career technical
education is high quality and aligned with academic standards,
and secure a long-term financial and policy commitment to higher
education.
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