Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Open Board of Directors
San Bernardino Community College District
114 S. Del Rosa Drive
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Minutes
Present: Pete Aguilar, Dimitrios Alexious, Carole Beswick, Tom Brickley, Ann Bryan, Rachelle Bussell, Peter Hidalgo, Ed Lasak, Lois Lauer, Neil Macready, John Mirau, Lou Monville, Charlie Ng, Tom Nightingale, Bev Powell, John Prentice, Kristine Scott, Larry Sharp, Paul Shimoff, Ty Shuiling, Christina Bivona-Tellez, and Matthew Wilson.
Guests: Robbie Broedow, Paul Granillo, Pam Langford, Larry McCallon, Sue McKee, Nathan Miller, Jim Morris, Vicky Ostermann, Stephen Wall and Cedric Williams.
Announcements: 1) Pacific Gas & Electric has been recommended for membership to Inland Action. Ray Gonzalez will serve as their member.
M/S/P: Minutes of the September 20, 2011 meeting
Peter Hidalgo introduced Senator Bob Dutton.
Senator Dutton says that it has been an interesting year in Sacramento. He maintains a glass half full attitude although there have been lots of ups and downs. In spite of the struggles the legislature was able to make some positive steps.
They were able to hold the line on tax increases and taxpayers will be able to keep more of their hard-earned money through the reduction of the car tax and sales tax rates.
Although disappointed that his bill to curb lawsuit abuse associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) failed in committee, he plans to bring the bill back next session. There is a lot of grassroots support for legislation that seeks to remedy the current wave of abuse.
He successfully led the effort to craft the first of its kind Amazon tax deal that brought Amazon and the retailers together. The Amazon deal will allow tens of thousands of independent and small businesses to continue to operate in California and will help keep and create thousands of much needed jobs in the state.
Although the State continues to have the second highest unemployment in the nation and is one of the most expensive places to do business, he sees it as an opportunity to make some real reform and jumpstart the economy. The Governor has a great opportunity to work with both sides of the aisle to enact reforms. The Senator has sent a letter to the Governor asking him to call a special session of the Legislature to address job creation, regulatory reform, and tax reform. He has also urged Governor Brown to use his veto power on a number of bills that would have a negative impact on California business. The Legislature needs to stop passing so many “job killer” bills that raise the cost of doing business in California and cost us jobs.
Overregulation has caused California to be one of the most expensive places in the nation to do business and is a prime factor in this state having the second highest unemployment as well as causing jobs to leave the state. Unnecessary and unneeded regulations must be eliminated to help those jobs already here, to stay here. It is easier and less expensive to keep a job in California than to try and create a new job to replace one that was lost. We need to help the small business community create more jobs. That’s the only way to get California out of their fiscal crisis.
A Q & A period followed.
Meeting adjourned at 8:38 a.m.