Gov. Office Participates in White House Business Council...
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 2:28 pm
Governor’s Office Participates in White House Business Council Roundtable – Discuss Support for Small Business Owners
LOS ANGELES – Governor Brown’s Senior Advisor on jobs and business development Mike Rossi today participated in a roundtable discussion with White House officials and hundreds of Los Angeles small business owners. Rossi was joined by David Hinson, Director of the U. S. Minority Business Development Agency and Andre Gudger, Director of the Office of Small Business Programs at the U. S. Department of Defense, for the White House Business Council’s only California roundtable this year.
“The Governor has demonstrated bold leadership in stabilizing California’s financial future and enacting policies that have strong impacts on private sector job creation, ” said Rossi. “California has seen significant job growth over the past year and we are committed to continuing to support our small business owners as they lead us on the path to recovery. ”
In the last year (Sept. 2010 – Sept. 2011), California has added over 250,000 new jobs – more than any other state in the U. S. And California’s 3.5 small businesses account for over 98% of the state's employers and employ over 52% of the workforce.
Over 200 small business owners attended the panel discussion and participated in a Q&A session about the potential impact of the President’s proposed American Jobs Act. According to the White House, the Jobs Act would include the following:
* Fifty percent payroll tax cut for employers on the first $5 million in wages. In California, 710,000 firms would receive a payroll tax cut.
* $3.9 billion in California infrastructure investments that could support approximately 51,500 local jobs.
* $3.6 billion in funds to support up to 37,300 California educator jobs.
* $2.8 billion in school construction funding to support as many as 36,600 California jobs.
* $1.8 billion to revitalize and refurbish local California communities by putting construction workers on the job rehabilitating and refurbishing hundreds of thousands of vacant and foreclosed homes and businesses.
* $1.1 billion in funding in the next fiscal year for California Community Colleges.
Peter Gravett, Secretary of California Department of Veteran Affairs also spoke to the small business owners in attendance about the importance of employing California’s returning veterans who endure unemployment rates significantly higher than the general population.
“Although veterans served this country without hesitation and stepped up when they were needed, today they are returning to some of the highest unemployment rates of any group of people, that needs to change, ” said CalVet Secretary Peter J. Gravett. “These men and women who have defended our freedoms should not be facing an unemployment rate of almost 25 percent in some areas. Veterans make great employees who are dedicated, team players who can lead and complete a task that is given to them – all they need is the opportunity. ”
Additional participants included: Joel Ayala, Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development; Jerome E. Horton, Chairman of the California State Board of Equalization; Dr. James M. Rosser, President of Cal State University, Los Angeles; and Loretta P. Adrian, Ph. D., President of Coastline Community College.
The event was organized in partnership by the Coastline Institute for Economic Development (CIED) and the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). GO-Biz was created by Governor Brown earlier this year and serves as California’s single point of contact for economic development and job creation efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services; site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information, visit www.business.ca.gov.
LOS ANGELES – Governor Brown’s Senior Advisor on jobs and business development Mike Rossi today participated in a roundtable discussion with White House officials and hundreds of Los Angeles small business owners. Rossi was joined by David Hinson, Director of the U. S. Minority Business Development Agency and Andre Gudger, Director of the Office of Small Business Programs at the U. S. Department of Defense, for the White House Business Council’s only California roundtable this year.
“The Governor has demonstrated bold leadership in stabilizing California’s financial future and enacting policies that have strong impacts on private sector job creation, ” said Rossi. “California has seen significant job growth over the past year and we are committed to continuing to support our small business owners as they lead us on the path to recovery. ”
In the last year (Sept. 2010 – Sept. 2011), California has added over 250,000 new jobs – more than any other state in the U. S. And California’s 3.5 small businesses account for over 98% of the state's employers and employ over 52% of the workforce.
Over 200 small business owners attended the panel discussion and participated in a Q&A session about the potential impact of the President’s proposed American Jobs Act. According to the White House, the Jobs Act would include the following:
* Fifty percent payroll tax cut for employers on the first $5 million in wages. In California, 710,000 firms would receive a payroll tax cut.
* $3.9 billion in California infrastructure investments that could support approximately 51,500 local jobs.
* $3.6 billion in funds to support up to 37,300 California educator jobs.
* $2.8 billion in school construction funding to support as many as 36,600 California jobs.
* $1.8 billion to revitalize and refurbish local California communities by putting construction workers on the job rehabilitating and refurbishing hundreds of thousands of vacant and foreclosed homes and businesses.
* $1.1 billion in funding in the next fiscal year for California Community Colleges.
Peter Gravett, Secretary of California Department of Veteran Affairs also spoke to the small business owners in attendance about the importance of employing California’s returning veterans who endure unemployment rates significantly higher than the general population.
“Although veterans served this country without hesitation and stepped up when they were needed, today they are returning to some of the highest unemployment rates of any group of people, that needs to change, ” said CalVet Secretary Peter J. Gravett. “These men and women who have defended our freedoms should not be facing an unemployment rate of almost 25 percent in some areas. Veterans make great employees who are dedicated, team players who can lead and complete a task that is given to them – all they need is the opportunity. ”
Additional participants included: Joel Ayala, Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development; Jerome E. Horton, Chairman of the California State Board of Equalization; Dr. James M. Rosser, President of Cal State University, Los Angeles; and Loretta P. Adrian, Ph. D., President of Coastline Community College.
The event was organized in partnership by the Coastline Institute for Economic Development (CIED) and the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). GO-Biz was created by Governor Brown earlier this year and serves as California’s single point of contact for economic development and job creation efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services; site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information, visit www.business.ca.gov.