[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Dave Johnson
Speak Out California

The California Chamber of Commerce has released its annual list of what it calls "job-killer bills."

Why is it that the Chamber's job-killer bills hit-list seems to only target Democrats? Not a single targeted bill belongs to a Republican. "Bad bills", like those designed to protect public health, climate concerns or consumer rights legislation, are all authored by Democrats. The chamber has always been a lobbying organization, but it has gotten so bad that the Chamber seems to have devolved into little more than just one more fear-mongering Republican Party front group.

The "job killers" on this list are any laws that protect consumers, reduce energy use, require worker protections or anything else that might hinder a very few corporate executives from reeling in another several-hundred-million dollars a year. The jobs that are "killed" are those of lobbyists for the energy industry.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Dave Johnson
Speak Out California

The California Chamber of Commerce has released its annual list of what it calls "job-killer bills."

Why is it that the Chamber's job-killer bills hit-list seems to only target Democrats? Not a single targeted bill belongs to a Republican. "Bad bills", like those designed to protect public health, climate concerns or consumer rights legislation, are all authored by Democrats. The chamber has always been a lobbying organization, but it has gotten so bad that the Chamber seems to have devolved into little more than just one more fear-mongering Republican Party front group.

The "job killers" on this list are any laws that protect consumers, reduce energy use, require worker protections or anything else that might hinder a very few corporate executives from reeling in another several-hundred-million dollars a year. The jobs that are "killed" are those of lobbyists for the energy industry.

by davej [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

By Dave Johnson, Speak Out California

The California Chamber of Commerce has released its annual list of what it calls "job-killer bills."  

Why is it that the Chamber's job-killer bills hit-list seems to only target Democrats? Not a single targeted bill belongs to a Republican. "Bad bills", like those designed to protect public health, climate concerns or consumer rights legislation, are all authored by Democrats.  The chamber has always been a lobbying organization, but it has gotten so bad that the Chamber seems to have devolved into little more than just one more fear-mongering Republican Party front group.
The "job killers" on this list are any laws that protect consumers, reduce energy use, require worker protections or anything else that might hinder a very few corporate executives from reeling in another several-hundred-million dollars a year.  The jobs that are "killed" are those of lobbyists for the energy industry.  

The first group on the "job killer" list is bills that ask for any kind of energy or water conservation or environmental standards for new housing construction.  For example, AB 1085.  The bill describes itself as undating,

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

Despite opposition from the airline industry and the California Chamber of Commerce, the California State Assembly passed AB 1943 (Leno) to protect passengers from lengthy delays on the runways without basic necessities such as clean water, food, access to clean bathrooms, lights and fresh air. Leno’s bill, which was supported by consumer groups including the Coalition for an Airline Passenger's Bill of Rights and the Consumer Federation of California handily flew off of the Assembly floor 57 to 17 with 44 Democrats and 13 Republicans giving it the liftoff. All 17 votes against it were from Republicans. It now lands in the Senate.

Currently, there are no statutory requirements for minimum airline passenger rights. The New York legislature successfully passed passenger rights legislation last year that is currently being fought by the airlines and their lawyers in the courts. The absence of legal protections has allowed for unhealthy conditions for passengers in California and across the nation.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The California Field Poll just released a 39 page survey that should provide ammunition for those who want to reform the state’s health care/health insurance system. As is usual, the devil is in the details—and there are lot here—for proponents of various programs to crow about and spin.

One thing comes through loud and clear: California voters are concerned about California’s failure to enact health care reform this year. They are very concerned about their own status—losing health care coverage, being unable to pay medical bills, employers cutting back the amount they pay for health insurance, and cancellations by insurance carriers because of health conditions. And, in response to a number of separate questions, they overwhelmingly support reforms, including requiring health insurance companies to offer coverage without regard to health conditions, extending health insurance to Californians who do not have it, and other reforms. They expect the current system to worsen in the next 5 years.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Robert Cruickshank

We have become so used to the rabid anti-tax politics of the right-wing, in thrall to the Club for Growth and the Howard Jarvis Association, that we might have forgotten that they have other ways to use the budget to destroy working Californians and the public services they depend on.

Such is the case with a recent op-ed from the California Foundation for Commerce and Education , which is, as Shane Goldmacher notes, the California Chamber of Commerce's think tank. The op-ed ever so gingerly floats the idea of raising taxes to close the budget deficit:

“Yet, as with the securities markets, common sense must prevail against principle if critical public services are at risk.

“It is simply implausible that we can solve in a single year a deficit problem unaddressed for years without devastating important education, public safety and safety net programs.”

But this comes at a price:

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]