North Bay Leadership Council Endorsements for June Primary

North Bay Leadership Council (NBLC), a coalition of leading employers in Marin, Sonoma and Napa Counties, announces its endorsements for the June Primary.

As the only employer-led public policy organization that represents the North Bay, NBLC advocates for a regional perspective when addressing community concerns.  NBLC supports candidates that share the same values on improving education, increasing economic competitiveness, reforming public pensions and making government sustainable within today’s fiscal realities, improving transportations, and regulatory reform. 

The following candidates have been endorsed by NBLC for their balanced approach on key issues, knowledge, problem-solving skills and ability to address North Bay challenges:

Congressional District #2:
Jared Huffman

Congressional District #5:
Mike Thompson

Marin County Board of Supervisors:
District #4: Steve Kinsey and District #2: Katie Rice

Sonoma County Supervisors:
District #5: Efren Carrillo, District #1: John Sawyer and District #3: Shirlee Zane

Napa County Supervisor:
District #2: Mark Luce

NBLC also endorses Proposition 28, which makes term limits more flexible by allowing legislators to serve a total of 12 years in any office or combination thereof.  It closes a current loophole that allows some legislators to serve up to 17 years in office.  Prop 28 will allow for more experienced legislators to serve and hopefully, decrease reliance on lobbyists and special interest groups who fill the void of a lack of institutional memory.

NBLC believes in strong public/private partnerships and building relationships between business and government for the betterment of the community.  For more information on NBLC, go to www.northbayleadership.org or call (707) 283-0028.

Out of Marin … Out of Time!

What does Lucasfilm’s decision to pullout of the Grady Ranch project mean for the North Bay economy? A lot. Lucasfilm has been the iconic company headquartered in Marin County. They put Marin on the map and sent a message to other companies that you could start and grow a business in the county. With Lucas deciding that pursuing the final part of his master plan that he started decades ago was not worth the brain damage of dealing with regulatory agencies that throw a wrench in the works at the last minute, neighbors who want to do anything to delay the project and are willing to drag it through the courts for years and the uncertainty of how long and how much, who can blame George Lucas from throwing in the towel?  A quality company with a model project will be welcomed ANYWHERE but not Marin.  Marin has lost its chance for high-paying jobs, jobs that represent the future and would have been perfect for our talented young people.  And the people of Marin have lost a lot of money in terms of taxes and the multipliers that a thriving business like Lucasfilm produces.

Losing Grady Ranch is a wake-up call.  Let’s get over the shock of the loss and work together to prevent losing another Grady Ranch.  It is time for reform of the California Environmental Quality Act to stop these abuses.  It is time for tort reform so lawsuits aren’t frivolous. And it is time for anyone who cares about the future of Marin County, to support our local businesses and work with them to create and save jobs.  George Lucas is reminding us that businesses have a choice.  And his choice is to walk away and take all that he has to offer someplace where they will appreciate it.  After all he’s been through, who could blame him?