North Bay Leadership Council
Issues
NBLC’s TOP PRIORITIES
North Bay Leadership Council is an employer-led public policy advocacy organization committed to providing leadership in ways to make the North Bay sustainable, prosperous and innovative. The Council includes 43 leading employers in the region. Our members represent a wide variety of businesses, non-profits and educational institutions, with a workforce in excess of 25,000.
Pension Reform
There is no time to lose in fixing the state’s pension plans. The growing unfunded liabilities today and worsening in the future are increasing budget deficits and the need to make budget cuts to critical programs and services. NBLC supports the Governor’s 12 Point Plan for Pension Reform and urges its speedy passage in the legislature. NBLC also urges that pension reforms be enacted before seeking new funding revenue.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) MODERNIZATION
The failure to modernize the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is causing the state to lose important companies, jobs, revenue and opportunity for growth. It is time to revisit this decades old law and update it while preserving its original intent and purpose.
Education
Our schools need help. California’s students’ performance rankings remain in the bottom of all of measurements. Given the importance of education to our global competitiveness, the economy, and lives of our children, we have to do better, and we can. Our students are competing for the jobs of the futurewith students from all over the world. NBLC is working to return California to its former position as a leader in education, from preschool through higher education. The state must do the same. NBLC supports the continuation of the Transitional Kindergarten, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Higher Education.
Jobs and Economic COMPETITIVENESS
NBLC seeks every opportunity to leverage California’s competitive advantages and fix the state’s shortcomings to ensure employers can prosper in the Golden State. California has maintained a well-deserved “anti-business” reputation. Meanwhile, other states and countries aggressively market to California businesses to relocate. In order for California to regain its standing as a leader in innovation throughout the world, the state must focus its efforts on creating a comprehensive economic development strategy that is aligned throughout state government and reflected in all state policies, regulations and procedures. A large part of that strategy should include addressing the neglected infrastructure that limits growth and adds costs to all business operations.