Public Policy Guidelines
Civil Litigation
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.
Economic Development
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.
Education/Workforce Development
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.
Energy Issues
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.
Environmental Quality
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.
Government Reform
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.
Health Care Reform
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.
Housing
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.
International Trade
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.
Public Safety
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. .
Regulatory Reform
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..
Solid Waste/Recycling
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.
Taxes And Fess
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.
Transportation
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.
Wage Compensation And Employment
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.
Water And Wastewater
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.
Worker’s Compensation
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.