Small Business Action Committee

SBAC PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS - 2016SMALL BUSINESS ACTION COMMITTEE'S (SBAC) ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDED NUMEROUS ACTIVITIES/EFFORTS TO BENEFIT THE PUBLIC AND ADVANCE SOCIAL WELFARE BY CONDUCTING PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ADVOCATING SUPPORT FOR POLICIES THAT PROMOTE CREATION OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES, ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC GROWTH, IMPROVE THEIR COMPETIVENESS, AND ASSIST THEIR JOB CREATION ABILITIES, FOR THE BENEFIT OF SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. THESE ACTIVITIES/EFFORTS INCLUDED INVOLVEMENT DEALING WITH LEGISLATION AND POLICY DISCUSSIONS IN CALIFORNIA, SUCH AS (A) PUBLIC EDUCATION ON SMALL BUSINESS ISSUES BY MAKING SPEECHES TO A VARIETY OF BUSINESSES, UNIVERSITIES, AND CONFERENCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR; (B) PARTICIPATING IN VARIOUS BUSINESS EVENTS, MEETINGS AND PANELS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR; (C) MEETING AND SPEAKING TO STATE AND LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND DECISION MAKERS; (D) MAKING NUMEROUS APPEARANCES ON NEWS AND TALK SHOWS, TALKING TO PRINT REPORTERS AND WRITING EDITORIALS AND ARTICLES FOR VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS AND THE INTERNET. IN ADDITION, SBAC SPONSORED A WEBSITE AND OVERSAW THE PUBLICATION AROUND 1000 ARTICLES DEDICATED TO CALIFORNIA BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE STATES POLITICS AND POLICY.ADVOCACY FOR SMALL BUSINESS* SBAC WAS INVOLVED OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR IN A NUMBER OF HIGH PROFILE TAX AND REGULATION DISCUSSIONS THAT AFFECT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. DISCUSSIONS OCCURRED WITH A HIGH-LEVEL REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GOVERNORS OFFICE AND THE LOS ANGELES CITY MAYORS OFFICE AS WELL AS OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM AROUND THE STATE. REPRESENTATIVES OF SBAC MADE SPEECHES, DEBATED, PARTICIPATED IN MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND PANELS ON A NUMBER OF THESE ISSUES ESPECIALLY ON THE ISSUE OF BUSINESS PROPERTY TAXATION. * SBAC IS ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF A BUSINESS-ORIENTED GROUP THAT DEALS WITH A MAJOR ISSUE TO OPPOSE NEW PROPERTY TAXES ON BUSINESS PROPERTY THAT WOULD DIRECTLY AFFECT SMALL BUSINESS. SBAC REPRESENTATIVE IS A LEADING SPOKESPERSON ON THIS ISSUE WITH THE MEDIA, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND OTHER BUSINESS GROUPS.* SBAC TOOK A LEADING ROLL IN SEEKING REFORM FOR THE PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACT, (PAGA) SERVING ON AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DEALING WITH THE ISSUE AND MEETING WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AROUND THE STATE AFFECTED BY PAGA LAWSUITS. PAGA LAWSUITS FREQUENTLY TORMENT AND CRUSH SMALL BUSINESSES.* SBAC PARTICIPATED IN A MILKEN INSTITUTE SPONSORED EVENT ON TAX REFORM.* SBAC WAS INVOLVED WITH THE ON-GOING ECONOMIC SUMMIT PROJECT SPONSORED BY CALIFORNIA FORWARD TO IMPROVE GOVERNANCE AND ISSUES AFFECTING THE ECONOMY AND BUSINESS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING.* SBAC PARTICIPATED IN PROGRAMS WITH ECONOMISTS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON SMALL BUSINESS SITUATIONS.* SBAC COMMENTED ON, ENDORSED, OR OPPOSED LEGISLATION IN THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE ON A NUMBER OF BUSINESS RELATED ISSUES SUCH AS MINIMUM WAGE DISCUSSIONS AND TAXES ON SPECIFIC PRODUCTS. CHIEF CONCERNS WERE TAXES, LAWSUITS TARGETING SMALL BUSINESSES, REGULATIONS, JOBS, AND THE ECONOMY. SBAC COORDINATED AND COOPERATED WITH OTHER SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY GROUPS AND CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE: * SBAC WAS A CO-SPONSOR AT CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL, WHICH INVOLVES HUNDREDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES AND NEARLY ONE-HUNDRED STATE LEGISLATORS. SBAC REPRESENTATIVE WAS A LEADING SPOKESPERSON AT THE EVENT.* SBAC HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH PROJECTS OR SPOKEN TO A NUMBER OF OTHER BUSINESS GROUPS OR DISCUSSED ISSUES AND STRATEGIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INCLUDING THE CALIFORNIA BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE, CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, CALIFORNIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE LOS ANGELES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY BUSINESS FEDERATION, AND THE BAY AREA COUNCIL. * SBAC SPONSORS FOX AND HOUNDS DAILY (WWW.FOXANDHOUNDSDAILY.COM) A WEBSITE DEDICATED TO THE CONFLUENCE OF BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN CALIFORNIA. THE SITE HAS BEEN CONSIDERED A GO-TO SITE FOR COMMUNICATING ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND IS A MAIN FUNCTION OF SBACS MANDATE TO PRODUCE MONOGRAPHS DEALING WITH BUSINESS ISSUES. THE SITE IS WELL RESPECTED AND FOLLOWED BY STATE OFFICIALS, MEDIA MEMBERS, AND BUSINESS LEADERS. ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN FOX AND HOUNDS DAILY ARE PICKED UP BY A NUMBER OF OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS AND GAIN WIDE CIRCULATION. ARTICLES PUBLISHED BY FOX AND HOUNDS DAILY WERE WRITTEN BY EXECUTIVES OF SMALL BUSINESS AND MAJOR BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES, THE CALIFORNIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE CALIFORNIA BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE, MANY AREA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.SBAC PRESIDENT JOEL FOX WRITES COMMENTARY FOR AND EDITS THE SITE, WHICH HAS COMMENTARY ON BUSINESS ISSUES AND POLITICAL ISSUES FROM MANY DIFFERENT AND VARIED VOICES INCLUDING ELECTED OFFICIALS OF BOTH MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES AND EVEN MINOR POLITICAL PARTIES, THINK TANK SCHOLARS AND ACADEMICS. THE SITE PUBLISHES ABOUT 1000 COMMENTARIES DURING THE YEAR, MOST OF WHICH DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY DEAL WITH ISSUES AFFECTING BUSINESSES IN CALIFORNIA. THE WEBSITE WAS TWICE RECOGNIZED BY THE WASHINGTON POST AS ONE OF THE BEST STATE POLITICAL/PUBLIC AFFAIRS BLOG SITES.