|
The Leading Voice of Business in Orange County | Tuesday, June 8, 2010
| |
ECONOMIC FORECAST: CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET BLUES AND MORE IOU'S COMING?
| |  Another summer, another budget battle in Sacramento. Even
Drs. Jim Doti and Esmael Adibi, advisors each to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
and State Controller John Chiang, reported at their mid-summer Economic Forecast
last Thursday that the state's financial status continues to spiral downward
with elected leaders failing to take the necessary steps for correction. Three
recommendations: stop spending one time revenues for on-going programs;
grandfather in existing pensioners but eliminate defined-benefit plans for
defined-contribution plans to address unfunded pension obligations; and reform
the initiative process so that no ballot measure could pass without a defined
funding mechanism, eliminating the drain on the state's general fund. It is
clear that, like Greece, California needs to adopt an austerity plan. This is
the "new normal" embraced by the private sector in a tough economy, which the
public sector has yet to accept.
On top of that, if the Legislature doesn't produce an
honestly balanced budget (not one filled with gimmicks and unrealistic
assumptions) California may be forced to issue IOUs for the third time since the
Great Depression. In a letter to the Legislature, State Controller Chiang placed
them on notice that sometime in late August or early September he will be forced
to issue IOUs to mitigate a cash flow shortage... [READ MORE]
For more info, contact Dr. Wallace Walrod or
Lucy Dunn.
|
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD TODAY... VOTE!!!
| | 
OCBC has studied the issues, met with and reviewed the candidates. Here are
OCBC's recommendations for statewide offices and propositions:
- Meg Whitman - Governor--SUPPORT
- Carly Fiorina - U.S. Senate--SUPPORT
- Senator Lou Correa - State Senate, District
34--SUPPORT
Click here for further
breakdown on the ballot measures, supported candidates and OCBC's
positioning. For more information on these candidates and ballot measures or
on OCBC's position statements, please contact Kate Klimow.
|
2010 ANAHEIM/OC JOB FAIR DRAWS 5,400 ATTENDEES AND 3,200 AVAILABLE JOBS
| |  Over 5,400 participants stormed the Anaheim GardenWalk last week for the 2010 Anaheim/OC Job Fair and Expo. The second annual event presented by the City of Anaheim and
the Anaheim
Chamber of Commerce showcased 130
employers and over 3,200 available job opportunities. In addition to the employer booths, the job fair featured several
breakout sessions to provide job seekers with information to increase
their chances of finding employment. One of the most popular breakout
sessions was a one-on-one resume review with 22 resume reviewers meeting with 1,500 people.
"The
road to economic recovery starts with jobs, jobs, and more JOBS," stated Lucy Dunn, President and CEO of OCBC. "Great
employers stepped up to help Orange
County get back to work and make the 2010 Anaheim/OC Job Fair come together."
Last year, the event
drew 7,500 individuals with more than 100 employers offering 2,200
positions. The Anaheim/OC Job Fair and Expo was made possible through the efforts
of the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Chamber of
Commerce, Anaheim Workforce Investment Board,
which oversees Anaheim Jobs, County of Orange,
Orange County Workforce Investment Board, Santa
Ana Workforce Investment Board, Employment
Development Department, Orange County Business Council,
The Orange County Register, The Shops at
Anaheim GardenWalk, The Disneyland Resort, Hilton
Anaheim, Freeman, Michael Brandman
Associates, and Breakthrough Networking. For more info, contact Dr. Wallace Walrod.
|
DUNN AND DONE: ROSES, RADISHES AND SQUIRRELS SIGHTED IN OC
| |  In the garden of OC what we need is some serious
cabbage, but instead we discovered last week some roses, radishes, and a
few squirrels. Jobs creation is job one. OC's near 10% unemployment
and the state's near 13% unemployment, we see signs of economic
recovery, but no jobs creation. How do you create jobs? Reduce fees and
taxes, cut regulations and eliminate opportunities for frivolous
lawsuits. Anything else is a SQUIRREL, or a distraction, to the main
event. www.CaliforniaSquirrel.com.
Click here to read the rest of the blog and see what our garden grows...
|
OCBC'S 2ND ANNUAL LATINO EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT RECEPTION CELEBRATES INITIATIVE
|
|  The Discovery
Science Center
was filled with over one hundred people last Thursday, June 3, for OCBC's second
annual Latino Educational Attainment (LEA) Reception. The LEA Initiative is
dedicated to empowering the parents of Latino students, by providing key training
materials and information on how to navigate the school system, as well as
advocate for their children.
Speakers at the event Thursday night at in Santa Ana
included Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, County Superintendent of Schools
William Habermehl, and OCBC Workforce Development Chair and AT&T executive
Richard Porras. One of the more touching speeches came from Estanislao
Rodriguez, a 37 year old father of three, who said "We can do a lot of
changes, but everything has to start with my change [first]."
The program has produced important training materials for
parents such as "The 10 Education Commandments for Parents" and "Developmental
Assets." This most recent guide is
geared for schools, parents, businesses, and community groups in order to
improve academic results and parenting skills when raising children and youth. One
of the lessons parents learn is that "colleges look not only at GPA, but at the
difficulty of classes taken, the quality of essays and the kinds of
extracurricular activities they bring with them," Teri Rocco of Garden Grove
Unified said. Click here to read coverage of the event in the OC Register. For more information, please contact Alicia Berhow.
|
FULLERTON'S CITY COUNCIL DENIES WEST COYOTE HILLS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
| | 
OCBC testified at the Fullerton City Council
meeting in favor of the Chevron development that would have built 760 homes on
510 acres in West Coyote Hills. The proposal also included building of nature
preserves, trails, setting aside nearly 350 acres in open space, and
significant funding for local schools. The council voted down the proposal in a
3-2 vote.
"Denying one of the largest economic development opportunities in North County is a devastating blow," stated Lucy Dunn, President and CEO of OCBC. "In a time where private industry is suffering from record high unemployment and the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, denying this project was a bad decision and we are extremely disappointed."
The rejection of the proposal came as a
shock to the private sector; specifically
Shawn Nelson's vote to deny the project, since Councilman Nelson, in his race
for Supervisor, claims to be a pro business/pro property rights conservative
and has also made statements that Orange
County needs more housing
to ensure its economic future. Mr.
Nelson's reasons for opposing the project included that he had not read the
development agreement and that the development fees were too high. Click here to read the press release issued from OCBC, Building Industry of Orange County and Orange County Taxpayers Association.
In voting against this project, the City Council also voted against a
project estimated to create nearly 2,000 new jobs and a quarter billion dollars
for the local economy. These figures are
significant as, in the week following this housing development vote, the City
Council was forced to cut an additional $6.3 million from its city budget,
including cutting 50 positions, reducing services like street repair and
graffiti removal, and closing the library for an extra day. The City is also looking at increasing fees
across the board for services ranging from fire inspections to athletic field
lighting in a 2010-11 budget that totals $238 million. For more information, please contact Kate Klimow.
|
PENSION REFORM: THE TIME IS NOW
| | By Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
 California is in
the midst of another painful budget season, where we are forced to make cuts to
important programs and consider other extreme measures to close a $19.1 billion
deficit. While there are many factors that led to this, we have clearly seen
that the size of our state's government has become unsustainable, and one of the
primary reasons is the state's pension system, which is in desperate need of
reform.
For decades,
California has been issuing billions of dollars of unfunded pension debt without
the approval of voters, and then using accounting rules to understate the size
of that debt, most notably in 1999 with SB 400, a monumentally bad bill which
sailed through the legislature in a matter of minutes with little debate. Those
lawmakers just assumed that a rising stock market would cover pension costs, but
as we see today, they were wrong. As a result, recent studies by Stanford, the
University of Chicago, and Northwestern estimate that our state now has $500
billion in unfunded pension debt.
The burden for
these mistakes of the past unfortunately falls on education, higher education,
public safety, and other programs whose budgets must be cut in order to service
this unfunded debt. As hard as it may be to believe, state spending on
retirement benefits this year is actually greater than state spending on UC and
CSU. This is not right, and it shows poor priorities... [READ MORE]
|
OCBC JOINS OC PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION TO OPPOSE FEE HIKE
| | 
Fees for businesses that use the
Orange County Fire Authority's (OCFA) services are slated to rise an average 3.9
percent,
to pay for cost-of-living adjustments mandated by long-term union
contracts set back in 2006. These pay
increases are for non-sworn personnel in the Building and Planning Services
section of OCFA.
OCBC joined BIA/OC, OC Tax and
the Apartment Association of Orange County at the OCFA Board meeting to testify
to the negative impacts such a fee would have on the business community at this
time, and urge the Board to oppose the fee.
OCFA has sufficient funds in its reserve to cover
the increased costs of the contract and, more importantly, the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association Local 3631 has offered to cover the cost
of the pay raise at least for this year.
Thanks to political leadership by Orange County Supervisors Pat Bates and Janet Nguyen, as well
as Lake Forest Councilmember Mark Tettemer, the entire budget
discussion was continued so that staff could go back to the drawing board and
renegotiate the contracts with the three unions. Supervisor Bates was adamant that she would
not pass a budget that included COL
pay increases when the cost of living has not increased at the same rate and
when the increase was based on a fee imposed on the struggling business
community. OCBC has acknowledged the
leadership of these OCFA Board members and will continue to monitor the issue
when it comes back before the Board in June. For more info, please contact Kate Klimow.
|
OCBC MEMBERS LEAD HOUSING MARKET RECOVERY
| | 
Earlier in the year, The Irvine Company's sales success at its Woodbury projects helped push Orange County's
total for new homes going into escrow to the highest level in two years,
according to figures from Costa Mesa-based Hanley Wood Market Intelligence.
Sales
contracts signed in the first three months of the year were up 56% vs. a year
ago, Hanley Wood's figures show.
Buyers signed contracts to purchase 523 new homes in Orange County
during this year's winter quarter. That's
the highest number of sales contracts for any quarter since the spring of 2008.
That includes more than 300 homes sold
at Woodbury since The Irvine Company launched its 2010 New Home Collection in late
January.
KB Home, another OCBC member, identified its "most successful project in America" as its Coronado
development in Irvine's
Woodbury East, a project of 110 homes being financed by the Irvine Company It is almost sold out after just four months.
During a panel discussion staged at the Orange County Forum, KB Home
indicated that its Southern California
division is the busiest it has been in years, and is gearing up for future home
sales by buying a lot of land.
Coronado is one of six projects
launched by the Irvine Company in January. The
project consists of 685 houses and townhomes. The Irvine Company officials initially predicted it
would take up to two years to sell them. Almost half have gone into escrow so far. For more information please contact Kate Klimow.
|
OCBC AND OCWIB PRESENTS: 2010 INDUSTRY SUMMIT SERIES
| |  Please join
Orange County Business Council in partnership with the Orange County Workforce
Investment Board in June as we conclude the Industry Summit
Series.
Dr. Wallace Walrod will be facilitating the final three
forums relating to several emerging and high-growth workforce clusters in Orange
County. The forums focus on growing and enhancing the Orange County firms in
these clusters, as well as promoting the workforce skill development needed in
current and potential employees.
Creativity
Forum:
The
Creativity Cluster is made up of firms connecting businesses with creative
individuals involved in producing cultural, artistic and design goods and
services. These artistic and inventive professionals generate original ideas
into creative goods and services for every industry cluster in Orange County.
Also included are components of more traditional enterprises and activities that
involve creativity, innovation, and/or good design. Occupations in the
Creativity Cluster include jobs in fields such as Audio & Video Technology,
Printing, Visual and Performing Arts, and Journalism with featured panelists: - Scot Moss, Walt Disney Imagineering
- Patricia Dillon Sobczak, Chapman University
- Chris
Diede, DGWB
- Mel
Rogers, KOCE
- Christian Mouritzen, Capita Technologies
Wednesday,
June 9, 2010
9:30am
to 11:00am | Brandman University: 16355 Laguna Canyon Road, Irvine, CA 92618
(map)
[EVENT FLYER] [EVENT AGENDA] [REGISTER] Biotechnology and
Nanotechnology:
The Biotech cluster is a knowledge intensive industry made up of
firms that research, manufacture or process biological, chemical or medical
products including medical and industrial chemicals and their preparation.
Harnessing discoveries from the human genome project, the medical literature and
health promotion practices, new tools are created to enhance the wellbeing of
people.
The Nanotech Cluster is made up of firms that are involved with
the manipulation of materials on a very small scale in order to build
microscopic materials, products, and manufacturing processes. Emerging
discoveries in the materials sciences and molecular engineering are utilized to
develop tools at a microscopic level for improvements in efficiency, wellbeing
and sustainability.
Thursday, June 17,
2010
8:30am
to 10:00am | Rancho Santiago Community College District: 2323 N. Broadway, Santa
Ana, 92706
[EVENT FLYER] [REGISTER]
Information Technology:
The Information Technology Cluster is made up of
firms that provide computer and software-related goods services. These include
computer programming, desktop publishing, database administration and software
design.
Thursday, June 17, 201010:30am to 12:00pm
| Rancho Santiago Community College District: 2323 N. Broadway, Santa Ana,
92706
[EVENT FLYER] [REGISTER]
|
NEXT CLB TO FEATURE CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES MICHAEL MUSSALLEM
|
|  Join OCBC for the Chairman's Leadership Breakfast featuring the
Chairman and CEO of Edwards Lifesciences, Michael Mussallem. Listen as
OCBC CEO Leadership Caucus Chairman Tom Phelps conducts an in-depth
interview with one of Orange County's leading executives.
Michael A. Mussallem is chairman and
chief executive
officer of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, the
global leader in the science of heart valves and
hemodynamic monitoring. Mussallem has headed
Edwards Lifesciences since it was spun off from
Baxter International Inc. and began operating as an
independent, publicly traded company in April 2000.
Previously, he was responsible for the worldwide
operations of both Baxter's CardioVascular business,
which he had headed since 1995, and its
Biopharmaceuticals business, which he had been
appointed to lead in 1998.
What: CLB Featuring Michael Mussallem
When: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 | Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. | Program: 8 a.m.
Where: Center Club| 650 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa
Event Flyer | Online Registration
|
JOIN THE 2010 EXECUTIVE INVITATIONAL: SELLING OUT FAST!
|
|  Join OCBC Thursday, July 29 for the 2010 Executive Invitational Golf Tournament, presented by Kaiser Permanente, at the beautiful Monarch Beach in Dana Point and tee off for education.
This annual event helps raise funds and awareness for OCBC's Latino Educational Attainment initiative and works to unify the community, students and parents and enhance the future of our
workforce. [CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON LEA]
Don't miss this great opportunity to hit the greens with Orange County's top business executives all while having fun for a great cause. For more information, or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Leslie Dods at 949.794.7241.
 What: 2010 Executive Invitational Golf Tournament
When: Thursday, July 29, 2010 | Shotgun start: 12:30 p.m.
Where: Monarch Beach Golf Links | 50 Monarch Beach Resort North, Dana Point
Event Flyer | Sponsorship Opportunities | Registration Form | Online Registration
|
OCBC COMMITTEE MEETINGS: JUNE
| |
Workforce Housing Committee
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 from 9:30 - 11
a.m.
 Workforce
Development Committee
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 from 7:30 - 9
a.m.
Community Colleges Working
Group
Thursday, June 24, 2010 from 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Committee
meetings are open to
OCBC members and invited guests only. All committee meetings
are held
at the OCBC offices unless otherwise specified. For more information on
upcoming committee meetings for 2010 check out OCBC's Committees. Looking
to get more involved?
Click below to receive specific committee notices.
|
| COMMUNITY EVENT | "Dead Banks
and Their Heirs: PIIGS, Euro Sovereign Defaults and the US Economic
Impact" - Wed., June 9, 2010
Join a panel Discussion with Marvin Barth, Chief Investment
Strategist at Tennenbaum Capital Partners; Raj Date, Chairman and
Executive Director of the Cambridge Winter Center for Financial
Institutions Policy; Dr. L. Wayne Gertmenian, Professor of Economics at
Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management; and Sanjiv
S. Sanghvi, President and CEO of the Wells Fargo HSBC Trade Bank. Dinner
and Panel at the Irvine Marriott Hotel. More information on www.worldaffairscouncil.org.
Walk United - Sunday, June 13, 2010Team up with Orange County United Way and Angels Baseball Foundation and WALK UNITED to provide for the over 290,000 people living below the poverty level in our community. Register to Walk and Get More Information at www.walkunited.com.
OC Forum Monthly Luncheon: Development of SoCal's Future in Professional Sports - Wed, June 16, 2010
Join the Orange County Forum for their next monthly luncheon featuring John Semcken III, Vice President of Majestic Realty Co., and Los Angeles Stadium Project Executive to learn about the Development of Southern California's Future in Professional Sports: Impacts and Implication for Orange County. Click here for more event information and to register.
KOCE-TV 2010 Gala: That's Entertainment - Saturday, June 19, 2010
Join KOCE-TV of the 2010 Gala Event: That's Entertainment at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach. The event will feature a live auction, live music and will recognize Bette and Wylie Aitken and the Orange County High School of the Arts.For more information, or for sponsorship opportunities, please contact Claudia Jenkins at 714.861.4311.
Goodwill of Orange County Annual Charity Golf Tournament - Monday, June 21, 2010
Goodwill of Orange County
is holding its annual charity golf tournament Monday, June 21, 2010. The
fundraising goal for the 2010 Goodwill Invitational is to net more than
$115,000. The mission of Goodwill of Orange County is to provide individuals
with disabilities and other barriers the opportunity to achieve their highest
levels of personal and economic independence. Click here for more event information and to register.
BIA Water Conference: Prepare4H20 - Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Building Industry Association of Southern California is pleased to
present Water Conference 2010. We hope you will be able to join us in
June for this innovative, yet crucial discussion, regarding the
current and impending needs for water in our southland communities. Don't miss the first annual Southern California water conference. Join exciting speakers and community leaders as we tackle our challenging water future. Click here for more event details and to register.
Central County Senior & Caregiver Summit - Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Central County Senior & Caregiver Summit hosted by Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen, the Orange County Office on Aging and Community SeniorServ will take place at the Crystal Cathedral on Saturday, August 7, 2010. The Summit will provide a unique and exciting opportunity for Orange County's older adults and caregivers to learn more about health care and vital community programs. Over 1000 older adults, caregivers and families are expected to be in attendance at this event with a particular emphasis on targeting under-served communities. For more information, or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Karen Roper at 714.480.2805.
SAVE THE DATE! Mobility 21 Regional Transportation Summit - Friday, October 29, 2010
|
IS IT NEWS TO YOU? THEN IT'S NEWS WE CAN USE!
|
|
Have an event coming up? Was your company just
highlighted in the news? Are you doing something great in Orange
County? The Business Council wants to know about it. Now OCBC members can submit news stories for OCBC's E-Update Indicator
Newsletter.
Click here and fill out the submission form for one of Orange County's premier business news source. Not a member? Click here for more information on how to get involved and join the leading voice of business in Orange County.
|
SPREAD THE WORD! IMPACT THE WORLD! FORWARD YOUR COPY TO ASSOCIATES!
|
|
Forward OCBC's E-Indicator to friends and colleagues by clicking on the "Forward Email" link at the bottom of the email and encourage them to sign up for one of Orange County's premier business publications!
|
TUNE INTO OCBC-TV WEBCASTS AND GET CAUGHT UP ON THE LATEST EVENTS
|
|
  
powered by  |
BUSINESS MEETS SOCIAL MEDIA
|
|
 Do you tweet? Have a Facebook page or surf YouTube? Then follow the latest news
and information from OCBC online! The leading voice of business is connecting
you to business in Orange County like never before.
If you
have questions on how to get connected with the Business Council online, please
contact Director of Communications, Matt Prince at 949.794.7221. | |
|
|
|
|
2 Park Plaza, Suite 100, Irvine CA 92614 | www.ocbc.org | PH: 949.476.2242 | FAX: 949.476.9240 | |
|
