Manufacturing leader comments on Governor Schwarzenegger's State of the State address

"In 2010 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must address the largest unemployment problem California has seen in 70 years. The Governor was right in his State of the State address that job creation should be our number one priority and we applaud his commitment. However, we don't share his optimism that the worst is over for the California economy and that we are well positioned to take advantage of the future.

Policies that help only select industry segments are not the answer. We need sweeping policies and strategies that send a clear signal to all employers that California can compete with the rest of the nation.

We were surprised that the Governor limited business regulation reform to streamlined construction permitting. After losing 600,000 manufacturing jobs, 32 percent of California's industrial workforce, we must go so much farther. A very inexpensive and productive way for the state to grow new high wage jobs is to provide broad regulatory relief . By reforming California's onerous regulatory burden, California can provide consistency and a more competitive business environment. We urge the Governor and legislature to conduct an in-depth and focused review of the cost impact and effectiveness of existing and proposed regulations.

The Governor and Legislature have an enormous year ahead of them and their goal should be to make California attractive to every kind of manufacturer and high wage employer. We won't recover without significant employment gains in all sectors of our economy."




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