Coalition for CA’s Future Picks Up Steam

Does the minting of new startup billionaires mean California shouldn’t be concerned about the economy? Don’t tell that to the more than 1.5 million Californians that lost their job during COVID-19. California currently has the largest total number of people that lost their job and is tied for the third-highest unemployment rate of any state in the union. Rather than further taxing or even more heavily regulating employers, we need to incentivize businesses and decision-making executives to stay and grow jobs in California … like right now.

We can only do that with a much-strengthened business voice at the policy-setting table.

With that in mind, the Bay Area Council and statewide coalition of more than 50 business and industry association leaders that we have assembled over the past few months believe we have an answer: create a new grassroots movement of 1 million residents to advocate for more aggressive action in Sacramento. Coalition members met this week to put their formal stamp on moving forward with a statewide initiative, and the Council behind the leadership of CEO Jim Wunderman and campaign Chair Clint Reilly has already begun working to assemble the resources and organizational capacity that will be required to sustain it. Most immediately, the coalition is working to fight legislation in Sacramento aimed at increasing taxes on jobs and investment even as the state sits on record revenues and reserves and awaits billions more in COVID relief funding from the federal government. The legislation comes even as a report last year by the state Auditor highlighted the gross and wasteful inefficiencies in California’s badly disjointed, ineffectual and uncoordinated response to homelessness, which has only increased despite the state spending more and more tax dollars. We are also advocating to restore the state and local tax (SALT) deduction capped under the Trump Administration that unfairly and disproportionately disadvantages California taxpayers.   We soon will also put our shoulder to the wheel on housing, homelessness and other issues.  To engage in the Council’s coalition, please contact Chief Operating Officer John Grubb.