The Corona Chamber of Commerce has voiced its opposition to SB 518. The legislation would reduce the availability of free parking that helps to attract customers to local shops and businesses in certain communities.

“SB 518 would stall economic recovery and push potential foot traffic out of downtown communities that desperately need consumers,” said Cynthia Schneider, Chair of the Chamber’s Legislative Action Committee (LAC). “This regulation would directly impact small businesses and would hurt Main Street. This is a terrible time to deter behavior of the customers that small businesses rely upon to grow.”

The proposed bill is sponsored by State Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and would, through a series of credits and points, incentivize city and county governments to stop providing free parking on the street and at government offices and to reduce the amount they require businesses to provide. The Chamber believes that in jurisdictions that provide reliably funded public transit systems, reductions in parking availability may be a viable alternative and some of these communities have begun to independently explore that option. However, due to a lack of reliable funding, limited schedules, lack of freedom of mobility and possible health concerns of some at-risk individuals, public transit is not always a viable option throughout Corona.

“We need our elected officials to focus on policies that will help the economy,” said Schneider. “And spend a little less time inventing new government programs based on point systems, credit processes, and regulations that nobody really understands.”

October 5, 2009

Chamber Opposes Taxes on Hospitality Industry

There is a strong belief that federal, state and local proposals to impose additional alcohol taxes and fees are on the horizon. The California Alliance for Hospitality Jobs (CAHJ) is working to dissuade these proposals by educating the public and policymakers about how higher alcohol taxes will cost even more jobs in California and hinder the state’s economic recovery. The Corona Chamber of Commerce has joined the CAHJ effort and is looking for support from our members as well.

“The CAHJ is another great example of an organization the Chamber and its members can easily support due to its standing position on fees and taxes on a specific industry,” stated Cynthia Schneider, Chair of the Corona Chamber’s Legislative Action Committee. “The Hospitality Industry continues to support and provide many jobs for Corona businesses and residents. Further taxing of this industry would harm and threaten jobs, leading to increased costs at a time when this cannot be the answer,” continued Schneider.

Now is not the time to raise taxes. Californians have already been hit with $12.5 billion in new taxes this year alone. Increasing taxes on wine, beer and spirits on top of this huge tax increase will create a domino effect resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of hospitality jobs among those who can least afford it – waiters and waitresses, store clerks, busboys and bartenders.

Catchy slogans, such as “nickel a drink,” hide the fact that these taxes or fees will impose a dramatic new burden on restaurants and other small businesses in California. A nickel a drink really means a 129% tax increase on spirits, a 267% tax increase on beer and a 640% tax increase on wine. These increases will have devastating impacts on California, threatening 41,000 jobs and raising consumer costs by up to 100% more per drink.

The legislature earlier this year increased the state sales tax by one percent, generating an additional $256.1 million from alcohol sales alone. Instead of coming back to consumers and workers for still more money, lawmakers should instead cut waste and figure out how to get the budget back on track.

We need to stop the continued taxing by our elected officials on industry specific jobs and services. The Chamber has always believed that the way to improve our state and local economy is for the Legislature to focus on the creation of jobs and reducing burdensome regulations on business.
 

July 20, 2009

Chamber Joins Coalition to Fight Tax Increases

The Corona Chamber of Commerce joins a coalition uniting taxpayers, businesses and other organizations in the fight to oppose any legislative proposal that unconstitutionally raises taxes. The new coalition will also oppose any attempt to eliminate the required two-thirds vote in the Legislature when trying to pass the state budget.

“Signatures are currently being collected for a possible ballot initiative for this year or next, and the business community, along with other concerned organizations needs to be ready to fight another unfriendly business initiative,” stated Cynthia Schneider, Chair of the Corona Chamber’s Legislative Action Committee. “We are hoping that by becoming a part of this coalition we can get out in front of this movement and inform our members about how damaging this initiative will be should it get onto the ballot,” continued Schneider.

The coalition was formed in late 2008 to give tax payers and businesses a voice in Sacramento during the budget negotiations. The coalition also called on legislators to draft solutions to the state budget crisis that would protect essential services without disproportionately hurting jobs and the economy. Early in the process, the Legislature attempted to pass what many called unconstitutional taxes increases by essentially proposing certain tax increases as fees in order to change the vote requirement from a two-thirds to a simple majority.

The Chamber and the coalition will move forward and focus efforts on legislative proposals that may undermine the Legislatures required two-thirds vote on tax increases. The current budget solution approved in February includes several tax increases adopted by the Legislature using the required two-thirds vote and signed into law by the Governor. The Chamber will continue to fight against the undermining of the two-thirds vote in the Legislature in the new round of budget negotiations.

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