Public Policy Guidelines

POLICY OBJECTIVE: Promote the elimination of lawsuit abuse and unwarranted or
excessive litigation.

POSITIONS:

• Support the use of arbitration, mediation and other alternatives to litigation.
• Support placing reasonable limits on attorney contingency fees and allowing an equitable distribution of litigation expenses and liability.
• Support efforts that require proof of consumer injury as a basis for data breach
  and/or related litigation.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote, preserve and enhance a positive business climate.

POSITIONS:

• Support strategies that encourage manufacturing and growth industry clusters
  that produce high multiplier effects and strengthen global competitiveness.
• Support programs and legislation that will promote San Marcos and North County
  as a location for business.
• Support a balanced regulatory climate that promotes economic growth with
  reasonable regulatory requirements.
• Support legislation, regulations and government agency actions that give full
  consideration to the rights of private property owners.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote a strong education system that meets the needs of
business for an educated and highly skilled workforce.

POSITIONS:

• Support effective and timely communication between businesses and the
  education community to assure that education and training programs are closely
  linked to employer and labor market needs.
• Support appropriate funding for education facilities, technology, programs and
  teacher preparation with more local control over both revenues and expenditures
• Support rigorous academic, technical and vocational coursework designed to
  provide the technical and soft skills required for employment.
• Support business partnerships with universities strong in applied research
  capabilities to solve problems and provide students with opportunities for
  practical experience.
• Support cooperative and joint ventures between private businesses and public
  and private centers of higher education.
• Support workforce development initiatives that will advance the health care
  profession.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote the achievement of a reliable, safe, stable, and
competitively priced energy system for businesses and consumers.

POSITIONS:

• Support energy policies and regulations that promote adequate supplies and
  reasonable pricing.
• Support improvements in generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure
  required to support future statewide growth and reserve needs.
• Encourage close coordination between state and local regulatory agencies to
  ensure responsible protections for the environment while supporting reasonable
  growth needs.
• Support continued research, development and use of cleaner, alternate power
  sources.
• Support a more participatory role for business in regulatory processes.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote the protection of our environment without sacrificing
economic prosperity or global competitiveness.

POSITIONS:

• Support the involvement of business in developing environmental protection,
  pollution prevention and emission reduction strategies.
• Support measures that utilize market-based incentives in the pursuit of
  environmental quality.
• Support environmental regulations that are based upon sound science and
  produce achievable, cost effective and measurable benefits to public health and
  the environment.
• Support streamlining the regulatory and permitting process, eliminating
  unnecessary regulations.
• Support consistency and coordination in the California Environmental Quality Act
  to streamline processes and curb abuses such as excessive litigation.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote a continuous, ongoing review of the role of government
in providing essential public services.

POSITIONS:

• Support government which is streamlined and provides cost-effective services.
• Support the elimination of unfunded State and federal mandates.
• Support enactment of effective public pension reforms.
• Support local control where appropriate and beneficial to business.
• Support a more equitable method of distribution of funding of local governments.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote health care policies that provide long-term control of
both quality and cost of health care.

POSITIONS:

• Support tax deductions for businesses offering health care coverage.
• Support tort reform that limits attorney fees awarded in medical malpractice
  lawsuits.
• Support legislation that would allow consumers to choose medical insurance
  from providers that are across state lines in addition to those that are within
  California.
• Support a market-driven health care system.
• Support health care programs based on quality, outcome data, and preventative
  care.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote policies that facilitate and assist the creation of a full
range of housing options necessary to accommodate California’s population and
economic growth.

POSITIONS:

• Support legislation and policies that promote jobs-housing balances in cities and
  counties.
• Support removal of legislative and regulatory barriers to the construction of
  homes sufficient to meet California’s basic needs for shelter.
• Support growth that takes advantage of existing mass transit corridors and
  stations and provides incentives for transit oriented development.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote international investment in San Marcos and trade with
San Marcos businesses.

POSITIONS:

• Support legislation that allows open and fair competition and enhances the local
  business environment at the local, regional, and international levels of trade.
• Support legislation and programs that promote business investment in California
  and/or San Marcos.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:romote measures enhancing the public safety of the
businesses and residents of the city of San Marcos.

POSITIONS:

• Support a strong state, county and local public safety emergency response
  system including police, fire and medical treatment components that enhance
  community safety.
• Support programs that provide education about business, home and personal
  safety and protection. 

POLICY OBJECTIVE:romote a simplified regulatory environment that is business-
friendly.

POSITIONS:

• Support measures that reduce administrative burdens on businesses created by
  regulations and permit requirements.
• Support mandatory periodic reviews of existing regulations.
• Support measures that require governing bodies to include input from the
  impacted businesses before promulgating regulations.
• Support measures that increase government accountability, including adequate
  opportunities to appeal regulatory decisions.
• Support programs that educate businesses on regulatory and permitting
  requirements and assist businesses in complying with those requirements.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:romote a balanced approach to solid waste management
that does not unfairly burden the business community with high fees.

POSITIONS:

• Support an equitable approach to solid waste handling fees.
• Support the partnership of the solid waste providers, the cities and private
  enterprise that recognize business’ efforts to recycle.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote a tax structure that encourages economic growth.

POSITIONS:

• Support balanced local, state and federal budgets that reduce spending without
  shifting costs to or imposing mandates upon other levels of government.
• Support simplification of the tax code.
• Oppose taxes, fees, or burdensome regulations that would have the effect of
  stifling competition and commerce.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote a well-maintained community infrastructure supporting
economic expansion, and the efficient movement of people, goods and services.

POSITIONS:

• Support for a comprehensive and cost-effective transportation network.
• Support measures that ensure transportation related taxes are used for
  transportation projects.
• Support for allocation of State funding for transportation projects in our region.
• Support for public-private partnerships when appropriate, sustainable and cost-
  effective.
• Support for private sector participation in the planning and oversite of
  transportation related projects.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:romote a robust economic environment with a strong diverse
labor pool.

POSITIONS:

• Support legislation that promotes flexibility in the employer/employee relationship.
• Support legislation that promotes flexibility and clarity in the relationship between
  businesses and independent contractors.
• Support measures that encourage efficient, fair resolution of wage and
  employment disputes.
• Support measures that establish and maintain a sound, efficiently operated
  unemployment insurance fund.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:Promote proper maintenance and management of water
resources and water facilities.

POSITIONS:

• Support legislation, policies and local projects leading to cost-effective water
  reliability and independence.
• Support cooperation among water agencies leading to water management
  efficiencies and ultimately savings to ratepayers.
• Support for policies and local projects leading to water source and storage
  diversification.

POLICY OBJECTIVE:romote workers’ compensation system that efficiently provides
timely and fair benefits to injured workers and minimizes administrative and frictional
costs to employers.

POSITIONS:

• Support policies calling for aggregation and centralization of data from the entire
  system supply chain.
• Support use of advanced analytics to detect fraud.
• Support the use of the Medicaid model of suspending fraudulent providers.
• Support policies that minimize costs associated with permanent disability claims
  and prolonged treatment.
• Support policies the encourage efficiency in handling of claims and delivery of
  benefits.
• Support policies that effectively address the costs associated with cumulative
  trauma claims.