NBLC’s TOP PRIORITIES
North Bay LeadershipCouncil is an employer-led public policy advocacy organization committed to providing leadership in ways to make the North Bay more economically competitive, college and career ready, energy independent and environmentally healthy. NBLC recognizes the state’s fiscal crises and urges the Governor and the Legislature to provide the leadership to restore the state to fiscal health, while taking advantage of the ability to restructure state government, become more cost-efficient, productive and focused on meeting the essential needs of the people of California.
Pension Reform
Fix pensions first! The Little Hoover Commission found that “California’s pension plans are dangerously underfunded the result of overly generous benefit promises, wishful thinking and an unwillingness to plan prudently. Unless aggressive reforms are implemented now, the problem will get far worse, forcing counties and cities to severely reduce services and lay off employees to meet pension obligations.” NBLC agrees and calls for pensions to be fixed now to avoid making unnecessary budget cuts or increases in taxes and fees.
NBLC calls for government at every level to look at ways it can find cost savings and increased efficiency by making changes such as: shared functions, public/private partnerships, outsourcing, consolidations, privatization and other ways. It is time to stop thinking only of cuts and/or increasing taxes. Changing governmental operations and delivery of services to match the limited funding is an imperative.
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 welcoming business by:
Our schools need help. California’s students’ ability to read is ranked 49th in the country by the U.S. Department of Education. Their ability to do math is ranked 48th and, we are second to worst in science. Compared globally, the situation darkens further. Of the top 35 nations, the U.S. is ranked 29th in science and 35th in math. Your neighborhood school might be good by California standards, but that isn’t good enough in the 21st Century.
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.