Issues

Health Insurance

Healthcare coverage is going to be a dominant issue in the Legislature in 2007, and there are likely to be many proposals put forth.  Fundamentally, CASE is a strong believer in market-based approaches to healthcare reform, and we oppose any expansion of government involvement in healthcare coverage or any imposition of mandates on small businesses to provide costly insurance to their employees.
CASE is strongly opposed to mandatory medical insurance, but we believe that healthcare coverage should be encouraged by government.  In order to accomplish the enviable goal of making sure the greatest number of people are covered, CASE has adopted the following principles when it comes to healthcare insurance:

• Make healthcare insurance premiums fully deductible on personal income taxes for those who do not have access to healthcare from their employees;

• Encourage the use of Health Savings Accounts as an alternative to traditional health insurance plans.  These tax free accounts can help consumers have more say about their healthcare options;

• Reject any efforts to impose mandates on employers to offer healthcare insurance.  Requiring employers to offer costly healthcare to employees will only serve to drive jobs out of the state;

There is a lot of discussion currently underway about ways to deal with health insurance coverage in California, and CASE will continue to monitor developments and report back to our members on the progress of legislative and administrative proposals.

Budget and Fiscal Restraint

State government spending has grown by alarming rates in the past several years.  Under the tenure of Governor Gray Davis, spending increased by 40%, and spending has continued to surge under the Administration of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Voters have approved over $50 Billion of new spending in recent years, and there are currently many attempts to increase spending on new government programs that CASE will be closely monitoring.

As the Legislature considers new spending, CASE will be a consistent voice for fiscal restraint and argue for a constitutional amendment to control the growth of government spending.  Simply put, the state must live within its budget, and we should encourage discipline from state agencies that have seen budgets increase by alarming rates.

Electricity and Power

While California has been fortunate in recent years to avoid a severe shortage in electricity, there is still a very real need to increase supply of electricity along with the construction of new transmission lines to move power to all areas of the state. 
CASE will continue to pursue legislation to encourage the development of more electricity, and we are committed to helping the state meet its renewable energy goals.
There are several power projects under consideration that will bring low cost electricity and power to consumers and businesses in California, and CASE will promote the notion that these projects should not be held up by state regulators.

Pension Reform

California’s public employee pension system has quickly emerged as a liability that cannot be ignored.  Higher pensions for public employees jeopardize the state’s ability to meet its obligation in future years, and if the economy slows (or if we face a recession in the near future), the state will not be able to afford to satisfy its obligations.

CASE supports the notion that public employees receive adequate retirement packages, but we reject the notion that public employees are entitled to benefit packages far in excess of private sector employees.

As the Legislature considers retirement benefit increases for public employees, CASE will be opposing such efforts, as we believe the state cannot afford any further increases if we are to remain fiscally sound.