These are crucial times for California and crucial times for the business community in the state. It should not be a surprise that the two are related.
"Trade and commerce, if they were not made of India rubber, would never manage to bounce over the obstacles which legislators are continually putting in their way..." Henry David Thoreau 1849
The workers comp issue is likely to heat up in the legislature — again. The big question this time: How many businesses will fight and how many will run right out of the state?
California’s state and local government pension and health costs for retirees are a hot political issue that should be a concern for small businesses around the state. As public pensions continue to take more and more from government budgets, services will be cut. Small businesses will face the threat of losing services or facing higher taxes to pay for the pension and health care costs.
In a keynote presentation on Oct. 15 at the 40th annual Ventura County Economic Development Association business outlook conference, Fox said reforms take place in waves that can take decades to enact. Fox, the former head of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said property tax issues surfaced for decades before Proposition 13 passed in 1978.
How much debt has the State of California accumulated? A real understanding of this question must include a thorough definition of debt in order to comprehend the scope of what we are dealing with.
The Small Business Action Committee sponsored a study showing that California public sector employers have been among the biggest beneficiaries of the workers compensation reforms passed in 2004. The study was released in September 2007.
