Orange County Business Council’s Legislative Action Guide 2009 - 2010 A business roadmap for legislative activities in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CORPORATE SUPPORT HUNTINGTON BEACH Seawater Desalination FACILITY OCBC MEMBERS AND INVESTORS 24/7 Yellow Cab Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP Michael Brandman Associates Santa Margarita Water District Advanced Medical Optics CresaPartners of OC Microsemi Corporation Sapetto Group Inc Aera Energy LLC Curt Pringle & Associates Mira California USA Center LLC SchoolsFirst Fed Credit Union AES Huntington Beach LLC Desmond McLeish, Inc. Ms. Carol Rudat Schubert Flint Public Affairs Aitken Aitken Cohn Dorsey & Whitney, LLP Municipal Water District OC Scott Baugh & Associates Allergan, Incorporated Exit Retirement Strategies Inc NAIOP SDG&E and The Gas Company Alliance Bank Experian Newmeyer & Dillion LLP Siemens Corporate A-Med Health Care FCI Constructors, Inc. Newport Banning Ranch LLC Singer Lewak Greenbaum Ames & Associates First American Title Company North Orange County CCD Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. Anaheim Marriott Hotel Fluor Corporation Northwestern Mutual Financial Soka University Anti-Defamation League Ford Motor Company Nossaman Guthner Knox & Elliot South Coast Air Quality Mgmt Apartment Association of OC Freedom Orange County Nutrilite South Coast Apartment Asso Aspen Media Gallagher Benefit Services OC Automobile Dealers Association South Orange County CCD Astech Engineered Products Inc Gianna Rose Atelier OC Children and Families Southern California Edison ATS Communications Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP OC Department of Education St. Joseph Health System Automobile Club of Southern CA Girl Scout Council of OC OC Prof Firefighters Assoc Stern Brothers & Company Best Best & Krieger LLP Goodwill of Orange County OCCitizens Agnst Lawsuit Abuse Strategic Resources Alliance Bonterra Consulting Habitat for Humanity Orange Co Oce Imagistics Inc STV Incorporated Brookfield Homes Hausmaninger Benoe Lang Alford OCTA T.D. Service Financial Corp. Buck Consultants, An ACS Co HDR Engineering Inc Orange Coast Memorial Care Med Taco Bell Corp Building Industry Association Health Funders Partnership OC Orange County Asso of Realtors Taller San Jose C & L Refrigeration Corp. Hoag Memorial Hospital Orange County Fair&Exposition TCA C J Segerstrom & Sons Hospital Association of So Cal Orange County Housing Trust The Boeing Company California Center for Regional Leadership Hyatt Regency Irvine Orange County League of Cities The Disneyland Resort California Manufacturing Tech Consult IBM Orange County Performing Arts The Dot Printer, Inc. Cal State University Fullerton ICF Jones & Stokes Orange County Sanitation Dist. The Facility Group California Bank & Trust Idea Hall Orange County Taxpayers Assoc The Hartwell Corporation California Housing Consortium Iger & Associates Orange County Water District The Irvine Company California Strategies Intel Americas, Inc. Orange County Workforce Investment Board The Island Hotel Campaign for College Opportunity Irvine Ranch Water District Orange County’s United Way The Paradies Shops Carlsson Public Relations Ito Nursery Inc ORCO Block Company Inc The Pension Group Inc Carter & Burgess, Inc. Jackson Demarco Tidus Peterson Pacific Life The Planning Center Center Club Jamboree Housing Corporation Pacific West Assoc of Realtors The Related Companies of California Centex Homes John Wayne Airport Parker Aerospace The Robert Mayor Corporation CH2M Hill, Inc. Juve Creative Parsons The Shepherd Group Inc. Chapman University Kaiser Permanente OC Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade Time Warner Cable Chevron KB Home Paul Hastings Janofsky &Walker Toshiba Electronic Components Children’s Hospital of OC Kimberly-Clark Corporation Paul Merage School at UCI Toshiba Information Systems Churm Publishing Inc. KOCE-TV Pepperdine University Townsend Public Affairs Inc Citizens Business Bank Kofax Image Products Phillips Development Company Trammell Crow Company City of Aliso Viejo KPMG LLP Pioneer Packing Tustin Ranch Golf Club City of Anaheim Latham & Watkins Porter Novelli U.S. Metro Group, Inc. City of Brea - Economic Development Lee & Associates Newport Poseidon Resources Corporation United Parcel Service City of Fullerton LegiSight LLC Premier Commercial Bank, NA URS Corporation City of Huntington Beach Economic Lennar Heritage Fields Project Tomorow Vandermost Consulting Services Development Lennar Homes Psomas Vital Link City of Irvine Los Angeles Times OC R.C. Hobbs Company Inc Vons, A Safeway Company City of Laguna Niguel Lowe Enterprises Inc R.J. Noble Company Vulcan Materials Company City of Santa Ana LSA Associates, Inc. Rancho Mission Viejo LLC Wedin Enterprises Inc City of Tustin Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP Rancho Santiago CCD Wells Fargo Coast Community College Dist. Mary Erickson Comm. Housing RBF Consulting Westamerica Graphics Coneybeare, Inc. Matters at Hand Related Companies of Calif. Western Digital Foundation Connors & Associates Merrill Lynch Ricoh Electronics Inc Willdan County of Orange Exec Office Metropolitan Water Dist SoCal Rutan & Tucker LLP WNC & Associates Inc Cox Business Services, OC Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce World Affairs Council Dear Business Partners, Welcome to OCBC’s 2009-2010 Legislative Action Guide: A Business Roadmap for Legislative Activities in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. The Government Affairs Program is foundational to OCBC’s mission and goals, protecting Orange County’s unrivaled quality of life by achieving meaningful solutions that safeguard and advance the business community’s interest. The Orange County Business Council developed the public policy positions outlined in the 2009-2010 LAG in partnership with our business members, whom we thank for their efforts. The positions reflect the goals outlined in OCBC’s five year strategic plan summarized on the next page of this guide. Moving into 2009, OCBC will focus on fulfilling its top three initiatives: improved infrastructure, preparing a future workforce, and increasing the supply of workforce housing. As this guide demonstrates, OCBC has proven itself as the leading voice of business in Orange County with innovative and progressive strategies in order to accomplish these goals. A very special thank you to the members of the Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee, Chair of the Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee Daymond Rice, Vons, OCBC Vice President of Government Affairs Kris Murray, OCBC Director of Communications Matt Prince, and OCBC Researcher Mazi Bahadori for their efforts in producing this guide. OCBC represents hundreds of Orange County’s top businesses, which employ over 300,000 in Orange County and 2,000,000 worldwide. We will continue to serve as the leading advocate for Orange County business and invite you to join us in our worthy efforts. Sincerely, Lucy Dunn Larry Buster President and CEO Chairman of the Board Orange County Business Council The Orange County Business Council ABOUT OCBC MISSION STATEMENT OCBC STAFF The Orange County Business Council represents and President and CEO promotes the business community, working with government Lucy Dunn and academia to enhance Orange County’s economic development and prosperity in order to preserve a high Vice President of Government and Community Affairs quality of life. Kris Leathers Murray INITIATIVES Vice President of Finance and Administration Danette Parente Infrastructure: Increase investment in construction, Vice President of Investor Relations and Business Development management and maintenance of Orange County’s 2009-2010 Legislative Action Guide 2009-2010 Legislative Celeste Signorino infrastructure integral to the long-term economic vitality of the county and region. Vice President of Economic Development and Research Wallace Walrod Workforce Development: Lead the business community’s efforts to further develop a high- Director of Accounting and Investor Sales quality workforce that supports the growing Vicki Blaser technology-based workplace. Director of Communications Workforce Housing: Increase the supply of Matt Prince quality, affordable housing available for the Orange County workforce. Director of External Affairs Michelle Hart Underpinning the implementation of these initiatives is the expert research of OCBC’s Vice President of Research, Dr. Director of Workforce Development Wallace Walrod. Dr. Walrod and his research team produce Alicia Berhow in-depth analysis of the state, local and regional economy, among them the acclaimed Community and Workforce Executive Assistant to President and CEO Indicator Reports and the Workforce Housing Scorecard. Betsy Moulthrop Finally, OCBC maintains an aggressive communications Office Assistant program to highlight the organization’s many efforts Maritza Ramirez and accomplishments, and presents high profile events throughout the year to build awareness and support for OCBC initiatives. HISTORY The Orange County Business Council formed in 1995 through the merger of the 100-year old Orange County Chamber of Commerce, the Industrial League of Orange County, the Orange County Economic Development Consortium, and the public private think tank, Partnership 2010. OCBC accomplishes its mission by leading a high-profile, pro-active advocacy program at the county, state, and federal level for business interests throughout California and the nation, focusing on three core initiatives: to improve infrastructure, enhance workforce development, and increase the supply of workforce housing. OCBC’s history of accomplishments includes assisting in reorganizing