CMTA | Legislative Weekly 2002

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Legislative Weekly
November 1, 2002

Working Group to Review California's Ergonomic Standard
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board authorized a “working group” to look at the need for a revised ergonomic standard at its October 17 meeting in Sacramento. The 12-person working group will meet on November 15 at 9:00 a.m. in the Harris State Building at 1515 Clay Street in Oakland. The meeting is open to the public.

The Board's decision to establish a working group was in response to a petition by the California Labor Federation AFL-CIO to adopt a new ergonomic standard. The petition was later amended to request an advisory committee to assess the existing standard and report back to the Board by the end of the year. One of the main complaints of the Labor Federation is that the standard is a failure because the threshold is so high that Cal-OSHA has been unable to issue citations. At the urging of labor, Cal-OSHA briefed the Board on some of the difficulties they have trying to issue citations for repetitive motion injuries under the current standard.

The working group is made up of four representatives chosen by organized labor, four management representatives chosen by the division, and four ergonomics professionals chosen equally by management and labor. The composition of the 12-person working group was criticized as being too limited and not affording a wide enough point of view. However, according to the division the discussion among working group members will be open to the public and all in attendance will be able to comment. CMTA is concerned that organized labor will attempt to pack the hearing room with their members and present a one-sided point of view.

Willie Washington will represent CMTA on the working group. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any change in the current ergonomic standard (Title 8, California Code of Regulations Section 5110, Repetitive Motion Injuries), please contact Willie Washington.

Secretary of State Predicts 58 Percent Voter Turnout

Jones

California Secretary of State Bill Jones predicted this week that 58 percent of California's 15.2 million registered voters would go to the polls next week. While Jones' estimate is very near the record low turnout set during the 1998 gubernatorial election, it is more optimistic than estimates by others. “There is an awful lot of activity out there,” said Jones. Jones' prediction would be just barely higher than the 57.6 percent who voted in the 1998 general election, and would rank as the second lowest turnout in state history.

CMTA Urges Attention to Budget Crisis After Elections
It has been two months since the budget was signed and California's fiscal situation remains dismal. Sacramento elected officials should immediately attend to next year's looming budget crisis the day they return to session on December 2nd. Their focus should be on the state's on-going structural deficit, which has not declined in two months and has not been the topic of legislative hearings pending the November 5th elections.

In the last four years, California's budget has gone from a record surplus to a record deficit. It was not long ago that the state treasury had plenty of cash. At that time state spending was pushed to new limits. State Finance Director Tim Gage indicated that administration officials understood that the windfall from stock options and capital gains would not last forever and suggested setting aside a portion of the extra money for one-time spending programs. But even when the economy softened and revenues dropped dramatically, government continued spending at nearly the levels during the boom. After the tech bubble burst last year, state revenues plummeted by 15 percent, the most dramatic since the Great Depression.

The downturn impacted revenues in many states across the country, but California took a particularly hard hit from the combination of job losses in high-tech and reduced revenues from capital gains. According to TomLiesner, Senior Economist with the UCLA Anderson Forecast, the state's personal income tax has become the most important revenue source, providing half of the funds needed to support general fund programs. Sales, bank, and corporation taxes are the other major sources of revenue. The legislative analyst has reported that more than 40 percent of all the adjusted gross income in the state is earned by the top 5 percent of taxpayers. This contributes to the volatility of the state's revenue stream and underscores the urgent need for focused bipartisan attention on the problem.

CMTA urges policy makers to include economic stimulus measures in their package of legislation to address the state's underlying financial problems. A strong and growing economy will ease the burden of spending cuts or tax increases, and give California a second chance to responsibly manage a budget surplus.

Manufacturing Fact
California has seen its tax burden on businesses rise by 3.8 percent over the last ten years while the rest of the western states have all seen a decline.

Talking Point
"This is why California can't compete. Our state goes in one direction (higher taxes and a more expensive place to do business) while our neighbors try the other (better business climate and lower costs to job creators). Every business understands the bottom line. Every day, more California companies are choosing to move, expand or invest in neighboring states that seem more interested in having them."

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Legislative off-season sends CMTA VP to the depths of the ocean

CMTA's Chief Lobbyist Dorothy Rothrock and Sacramento contract lobbyist Chuck Halnan took some time, while the Legislature was out of session, to swim with the Manta Rays in Hawaii.