Press Release: Bay Area Council Urges California Legislature to Embrace the Spirit of Compromise
The Bay Area Council today urged the California Legislature to embrace the spirit of compromise to close the state’s $26.6 billion budget deficit. The call for compromise was made in a letter that the Council sent to all California state legislators late yesterday.
“California is at a crossroads and the choices facing the people of this state, especially you, our elected leaders, are clear and stark,” said Jim Wunderman, President & CEO of the Bay Area Council. “We can retreat into the temporary shelter of our ideological corners and watch our state descend into chaos, or we can step out into the storm and through a spirit of shared sacrifice, help lead California on the path back to economic prosperity and opportunity for all its citizens. We urge you to be on the right side of history, to work with Governor Brown, to stay at the table until the task at hand is complete, and to help California move forward and prosper.”
In the letter, the Council also called on the Legislature to institute meaningful redevelopment reform that ends abuses, but preserves smart growth, strong communities and real economic development.
The full text of the letter is below:
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March 10, 2011
Assemblymember/Senator
Sacramento CA
Sent VIA Fax
Dear Assemblymember/Senator,
The Bay Area Council is writing to encourage you to adopt a budget based upon Governor Brown’s proposal. For the first time in many years we have been presented with a budget that honestly reflects the dire fiscal situation that faces California. It is a budget lacking in the usual accounting gimmickry, borrowing, and denial. It is also a budget that for these same reasons is extremely painful to many people, including business leaders whose organizations provide the jobs we depend on to restore our state to economic health.
As you know, the business community does not believe that higher taxes help stimulate economic activity and put people to work – quite the opposite – which is why we rarely support such proposals. However, if there is one thing that business fears more than higher taxes it is uncertainty and chaos. If we do not get an honest budget passed soon, and get California’s fiscal house in order once and for all, uncertainty and chaos are what will ensue.
Given the dire circumstances, Governor Brown’s budget is a fair and rational combination of cuts and taxes that also seeks to preserve those institutions that will benefit California’s long term well being, in particular our K-12 education system. While it is unjust for us to pass on to our children debts incurred by our inability to keep our finances in order, it is equally unjust for us to deprive them of the educational opportunities that enabled our generation to thrive and prosper. We can tighten our belts and preserve public education; this budget does both.
Beyond the need to temporarily extend certain taxes, which we understand, one of the most concerning components of the budget plan is to eliminate redevelopment in California. Radical change in process is not a good partner for long term investments in land development. We believe that redevelopment should be reformed in such a way that best reflects our collective vision of smart growth, strong communities and real economic development. We must do this in a thoughtful, seamless and transparent manner that puts an end to abuses, while ensuring that ongoing worthy projects, contracts, and jobs are not wiped out with the stroke of a pen. We firmly believe that the State can balance the current budget and institute meaningful redevelopment reform, and we stand ready to help in that regard.
California is at a crossroads and the choices facing the people of this state, especially you, our elected leaders, are clear and stark. We can retreat into the temporary shelter of our ideological corners and watch our state descend into chaos, or we can step out into the storm and through a spirit of shared sacrifice, help lead California on the path back to economic prosperity and opportunity for all its citizens.
We urge you to be on the right side of history, to work with Governor Brown, to stay at the table until the task at hand is complete, and to help California move forward and prosper.
Sincerely,
Jim Wunderman
President & CEO
Bay Area Council
