By Howard Fine
Los Angeles Business Journal
Reflecting a more assertive attitude among legislative Democrats and their allies, this year’s list of “job killer” bills released by the California Chamber of Commerce contains nearly twice as many entries as last year.
In all, 41 bills made the list of legislation deemed harmful to California’s business climate, up from 23 last year. Many are revivals of bills that failed last year, such as increases in upper-income bracket tax rates and the minimum wage and establishment of a single-payer health care system.
But others are new, such as extending the state sales tax to services, raising commercial property tax rates, closing a subchapter “S” corporation tax loophole and increasing penalties for certain air pollution violations.
California’s goods movement industry comes in for particularly rough treatment, with eight bills that would raise fees or taxes on fuel or impose stricter regulations on ports.
Last year, 10 of the 23 bills identified as job killers made it to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk. The governor vetoed them all.
Mixed Message
Only in Sacramento can a politician call for a moratorium on new state spending programs in one breath,and then in the next, say he would favor $10 billion in new transportation projects.
That’s the mixed message Assembly Speaker Fabian N & #250; & #324;ez has delivered recently to the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
Noting the surge in revenues now coming into state coffers, N & #250; & #324;ez said the temptation is great for lawmakers to promote their own pet projects.
Barely one minute later, though, N & #250; & #324;ez was outlining the need for a massive bond measure for transportation projects, on the order of $10 billion. That’s bigger than the $7 billion measure unveiled by Senate President pro-tempore Don Perata.
Fine is a staff writer with the Los Angeles Business Journal.
