Greenville Business Magazine 2010 March issue : Page 24
>>quarterly update - Greenville Chamber Fights for Business in 2010
Mark Cothran
The Greenville Chamber is the voice of business for the Greenville area and we work hard to let our legislators know what they can do to help businesses throughout the entire Upstate. To guide us in this goal, we have developed a pro-business agenda for the 2010 Legislative Session, which will help businesses be more competitive.
In July, the Chamber sent out a survey to all of its members, asking them to let us know what issues we should tackle in Columbia to help Upstate businesses be more competitive. We took those weighted responses and tabulated the results, from which we drafted the 2010 Legislative Agenda. The draft was further developed by the Chamber’s Legislative Committee and then finalized by the Greenville Chamber Board.
What you see below are the results of that survey and its initial Legislative and Board recommendations. In no particular order, here is what the Greenville Chamber membership said was important to them in preparation for the 2010 Legislative Session. These are important to the overall success of the Upstate’s economy as a whole. Getting these ideas addressed will not only help Chamber members, but will also serve every person who is in business or who is trying to start or grow a business. This is critical because every job created here depends on positive business conditions.
Affordable Healthcare for Small Businesses: Health insurance affordability continues to be an issue for business, especially small businesses. The Chamber supports employee wellness programs to help curb obesity and unhealthy lifestyles in order to reduce health care costs. The Chamber also supports cigarette tax increase to not exceed neighboring states and its revenues to be used to offer tax breaks to small businesses that offer health insurance to employees.
Comprehensive Tax Reform: The Chamber will continue to support the total look and/or overhaul of the SC tax system that fairly and equitably looks at the tax code holistically (sales, property, income, fees, etc.) and does not put an unfair burden on any one piece of the system.
Economic Development: The Chamber supports the development & implementation of a new vision and comprehensive statewide economic development plan that will make SC the most competitive and fertile business environment in the country – focused on creating jobs of the future with wages and salaries above the national average. The plan should include support for business retention, and incentives for high impact entrepreneurs.
The Chamber also urges the immediate expansion of the North Charleston port and moving forward with the Jasper County port.
The Chamber will continue to support Upstate tourism and the comprehensive SC State Tourism plan.
Education: The Chamber supports legislation that will provide for education funding flexibility, so schools may choose how allocated money is spent individually. It also supports national standards for graduation rates. More educated children will produce a more skilled workforce for business and industry in SC, so the Chamber supports initiatives that will help to increase graduation rates and the offering of early childhood education to more South Carolinians.
Energy: The Chamber supports a program of offshore energy exploration and production off South Carolina’s coast that takes into consideration tourism and the environment.
The Chamber also supports legislation that will provide rebates, credits or incentives for recycling.
The Chamber also supports the development and expansion of nuclear capacity in the Upstate as a critical need for business and industry.
Government Restructuring:
State-spending caps must be implemented to provide for a reserve fund that the state can dip into during down economic times. Because of the Employee Security Commission’s nearly $1 Billion of un-funded liability, it must be restructured. Business will have to pick up the tab and future tabs if this continues.
Labor: The Chamber will continue to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act and to support the anti-EFCA state legislation that would amend the state’s constitution to guarantee a worker’s right to a secret ballot when voting in a union election.
Transportation/Infrastructure:
The Chamber opposes the tolling of existing roads in SC because it would increase costs to business.
The Chamber supports the redirection of car sales tax revenues to road maintenance and repair from the general fund if this is not addressed by the TRAC.
The Chamber supports incentive legislation aimed at attracting low fare airlines to the state’s commercial airports.
Water: The Chamber supports the implementation of a statewide water plan because South Carolina has seen efforts by North Carolina and Georgia to route water to their sources. It is vital that the State Legislature be pro-active in developing a water plan for the state to protect SC’s water resources.
Workers’ Compensation Reform & Tort Reform: The Chamber supports the implementation of AMA guidelines or other types of guidelines to the workers’ compensation system. The Chamber also supports the passage of punitive and non-economic damages caps.
Mark Cothran is the vice president of public policy for the Greenville Chamber. He can be reached at mcothran@greenvillechamber.org or 864-239-3718.
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