LABJ FORUM – Down to Business
Largely lost in all the noise surrounding the recall election has been a substantive discussion of the challenges facing state government. The budget crisis was largely deflected, but only for a short time, and other big issues remain. With the election being decided this week, the Business Journal asks:
What should the first post-recall priority be in Sacramento?
Robin Meadow
President
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Implementing the budget is a big problem. There’s barely enough money for the courts to creak along. One of things that got sidetracked is that the judiciary is supposed to be a totally independent body. When it can’t do its job because a separate branch of government can’t get its act together, it raises serious concerns about judicial independence.
Consuelo Diaz
Chief Executive
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehab Center
We need to work on stabilizing the government. Right now everything is in chaos. The legislature and the governor and his staff need to sit down and start working together to put the state back on track. They need to start putting the state first before their political aspirations and stop blaming each other when something goes wrong. They’re all a part of it they make the laws, sign them, create the policies that have gotten us into trouble and they need to start working together for the people of California to pull us out of it.
Mark Weinstein
President
WJM Investments
Focusing on the fundamentals, like any business. We should be looking at revenues, expenditures and making sound fiscal determination to move our state forward. Let’s hire a proven advisory board of successful people to help implement intermediate and long-term goals for the state. People in our government with private-sector experience, like (Treasurer) Phil Angelides, need to help educate and build consensus among elected officials.
Lin W. Lan
President
Pacific Pioneer Insurance Group
Workers’ compensation should be the priority. We need to save California business, increase tax income and reduce the expense of government. I have clients who are in tears when I show them what their workers’ compensation premiums are.
Bob Shirley
General Manager
Balfab Manufacturing Co.
Workers’ compensation should be a priority, and education. There is no business environment in California. It’s being thrown in the trash. For workers’ compensation last year we paid $136,000 in premiums. My quote for this year says our annual premium is $321,000, so it’s more than doubled. We do precision sheet metal fabrication and used to employ 63 people. Now we’re down to 30. We used to be an $8 million company now we’re doing $3 million. And workers’ comp is a big part of those expenses. The future of the company is in doubt.
Brett O’Brien
Chief Executive
Xdrive Inc.
They need to reduce workers’ compensation costs. We pay $20,000 a year haven’t had any claims at all. The other thing is to reduce taxes. That way they’d encourage businesses to stay in the state and new businesses to come to California.
