Government Affairs Where We Stand

Aerospace and Defense

Aerospace and Defense has been and should be one of America’s and the South Bay’s leading economic sectors for year to come. Superior technological commercial and defense products play a significant role in the continuance of the U.S. economy and political agenda as a world leader. Given the number of South Bay businesses and workers in these technology intensive industries, the region should continue to support and capitalize on this sector.  TACC supports both Federal and State budgets and policies that will keep Aerospace and Defense projects in the South Bay, thus keeping our local economy strong and adding employment to the Torrance area community.

ISSUES

• Suppliers based in Torrance
• Residence in Torrance
• BRAC/Realignment
• Budget/Sequester

Education and Workforce Readiness

With high unemployment and underemployment numbers, educating today’s youth is a necessity.  This chamber recognizes the valued support the Torrance Unified School District (TUSD), El Camino and Los Angeles Harbor Colleges, Cal State University at Dominguez Hills, and vocational schools such as National University, Westwood College, Everest College, UEI College, ITT Tech, and Southern California Regional Occupational Center (SCROC) are doing in preparing the future workforce. 

TACC supports measures and legislation which promote the quality of training these institutions do for our workforce.  All levels of education should set highest standards for student achievement and develop the training programs to reach those goals.  Materials for training should be offered to its current editions to help accelerate learning. 

The TACC looks to work with TUSD on programs that promote students to think outside the box and to strive for their highest capabilities of learning.  TACC also encourages all levels of education to stay abreast to the new ways of training with the needs of industry to fulfill employment needs to create a stronger workforce.

ISSUES/PROGRAMS

• Workforce Readiness
• Principal for a Day
• Business for a Day
• Information Technologies
• Funding/Gov. Brown Proposal
• Fiscal Policy

Jobs and the Environment

The TACC believes economic and environmental needs must be balanced when meeting standards for air, water, and land quality.  Technologies, such as vehicle emissions and/or waste management, among others, must be evaluated and enhanced carefully when improving energy efficiency and quality standards.  We support the work the City of Torrance, County of Los Angeles, and State of California does to enhance and protect both the economy and natural environment.  The TACC advocates for regulations that protect long-established jobs, promote job-creating policies, and encourages a balanced approach to meet the needs of economic and environmental interest.

ISSUES

• Sewage Tax
• Storm Water Discharge/NPDES
• Plastic Bag Regulations/Policies
• CEQA

Healthcare

TACC acknowledges the importance of adequate healthcare coverage for all Californians.  We support legislation that helps small businesses effectively integrate the Affordable Care Act and support financial incentives for those small businesses that provide insurance for their employees. We oppose policies or legislation that increases the cost to businesses for additional workers’ compensation insurance, unemployment insurance, and paid family leave.

The TACC supports tort reform efforts and participates in a coalition to discourage frivolous litigation and opposes trial lawyers’ efforts to expand their opportunities to sue businesses and increase private rights of action.  We believe universal healthcare is important and needed for all adults and children living in California, and we encourage the State to work with business and healthcare experts to examine better ways to insure all Californians, keep costs down for small businesses, and strengthen the healthcare workforce.

ISSUES

• Liability
• Rate Regulation
• Basic Health Plan
• Exchanges on health plans
• Funding for Health Services

Infrastructure/Traffic/Transportation

Local economic enterprise requires an efficient, state of the art transportation system and infrastructure to succeed and prosper. With a surge in growth we must keep traffic running smoothly. Everything we do, buy, and interact with requires mobility. Without the capacity to move goods, people, services, and the economy will suffer.  Public transportation is at the forefront to help bring efficiency to the region by the transportation of employees and business consumers.

We support federal, state, and local government to manage the traffic system to allow businesses to move their product and services, and also manage the funds that support this system.  The TACC promotes the policies that will help fuel a strong infrastructure that connects the city to the region.  The TACC also advocates the policies that encourage research and development of new and effective ways to reduce pollution and congestion, and increases safety and efficiency.  We oppose policies that prevent an infrastructure from helping businesses to produce jobs and delivery of their product for customers of the South Bay.

ISSUES

• Allocation/Distribution of funds
• Metro Projects/Measure R Updates
• Replaying Lost Taxes/Vehicle Miles Travelled

Manufacturing

The South Bay is a hub for the manufacturing of goods and services.  We support all legislation and policies that promote the research and development of new technology that will help businesses grow and continue to employ high number Torrance area residents, and oppose those measures that take away from a company’s ability to conduct businesses in such a way that creates jobs and strengthens the local economy.  We encourage public policy that promotes the development of innovative methods of manufacturing in the 21st Century that helps preserve the environment and job growth. 

ISSUES

• Clean Manufacturing
• R&D

Natural Resources

Resources are vital to our way of life in the South Bay.  We are in support of the policies that guarantee cost-effective water and power delivery to the residence and businesses of the Torrance area.  The TACC believes policies should support all forms of energy and opposes regulations that do not protect jobs and the ability for resource companies to deliver the necessary energy needs to the South Bay.  

ISSUES

• Water
• Electricity
• Natural Gas
• Solar/Wind/Renewables
• Petroleum

Small Business / Jobs

Small business is the foundation of the Torrance community.  TACC supports legislation that promotes job growth, modernizes the regulatory procedure, and protects businesses from an unhealthy business climate.  This chamber will promote opportunities where small businesses can partner with big business to help growth and expansion, and encourages the State to work on programs that will help build a stronger Small Business alliance to strengthen the local economy.

The TACC believes in wage fairness, however, opposes regulation and policies that does not protect jobs and take away from local and regional businesses by competing for unmerited workers’ compensation.  We promote the ability for employers and employees work together in being fairly treated and staying in business.

ISSUES

• Compliance/ADA
• New and/or Frivolous Laws/Regulation
• Taxes
• Financing
• Credit Lines to keep operations
• Talent Management
• Legal Banks
• Opportunities to partner with larger businesses
• Tourism / Wage Legislation / Hospitality

Tax Policies

Today’s business climate is dependent upon the tax proposals and the implementation of these laws.  The TACC believes such tax policies should promote strong growth of employment and the necessary benefits offered by business.  The tax burden of businesses and its consumers is in direct correlation to growing the economy.  We believe tax proposals and policies should be simplistic in nature and taxpayers should be certain as to where their taxes are going and what they are paying for. 

We promote tax policies that are consistent for both business and their customers, and should not impede or reduced our local economy in producing viable products that answer the need of our area. Policymakers should have the financial implications of all business in mind when developing policies that affect all producers, services, and consumers in our region.  We look for policies that simplify financial institutions’ access capital that builds on necessary financing and regulatory credits to help with economic relief.  The TACC opposes legislation that hides or disguises taxes as fees, nor will we support tax policies that are developed as last resort for revenues. 

ISSUES

• Sequestration
• Banking and Finance

Technology

The high-tech industry has been established in the Torrance area for a number of years and the TACC supports continued production and employment by many of the high-tech companies.  We support IT and Biotech segments to continue to grow through research and implementation of cutting edge technology.  All forms of technology, including telecommunications, must have regulations that support growth and job creation within each industry.  The TACC supports such policies and regulations that promote the growth in all areas of bandwidth consumption across all media.   We support the policies that will enable hard- and soft-ware IT, biotech, and high-tech companies to continue to employ South Bay residents, while strengthening the economy by becoming global leaders.  The TACC will oppose those regulations that hinder the growth of companies who are meeting the demand and needs of their customers through broadband, wireless, and wire line networks.

ISSUES

• BioTech
• Telecommunications
• Changes/Growth in wireless
• FCC / PUC / Spectrum Purchasing to Meet the Demands of our customers
• Maintain / Support Existing Wired Infrastructure