Members Take Action!
After being updated by a powerful line-up of influential public policy advocates and lawmakers and trained in the nuts and bolts of effective grass roots advocacy, CLCA members attending the annual Construction Industry Legislative Council Legislative Conference in late April took action.
After being trained and motivated, approximately 30 CLCA grass roots advocates meet with their local lawmakers to discuss three bills being watched by CLCA involving unlicensed operators, immigration and water.
During CLCA's pre-conference grass roots training session, Assemblymember Hector De La Torre stressed the importance of personal contact, calling it "the most effective way to influence legislation." Subsequent presentations and a series of humorous role-playing demonstrations showed attendees how to be effective. Senator Lou Correa, the Orange County chapter's 2007 Legislator of the Year. Sen. Correa provided a fascinating insider's view on the budget process, calling it "an ugly, ugly situation," and repeated the call for contractors to make personal contact with the elected representatives. Dinner that evening featured Sen. Tom McClintock. Although he offered a different, more dire view on the state's budget woes, his message about involvement was the same: "Just do it."
The following day was the CILC Legislative Conference itself. Speakers included Tamar Jacoby, a recognized expert on immigration reform. She explained that comprehensive immigration reform legislation died last year because of a lack of concern from constituents, especially those who "wear a suit, meet a payroll, and provide jobs in (legislator's) districts." She encouraged contractors concerned about the availability of workers to "get involved. The battle is winnable, but it won't happen without you."
Contractors also heard from Sen. Tom Torlakson, who outlined his efforts to promote Career Technical Education, "the new buzz words for voc ed or what we use to call 'shop'." Recognizing that "college is not for everyone," and that there are many industries offering good paying jobs to trained workers, he has proposed legislation requiring high school students to complete two courses in career technical education. "Career technical education gives these students a path to their dreams of a good future." In a subsequent presentation, Sen. Mark Wyland echoed the support for career technical education.
During the Legislative Conference, the Construction Industry Legislative Council honored Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo (above left) for his efforts to combat unlicensed contractor activity.
After accepting a plaque from CILC President Julie Trost honoring him for his "exemplary dedication and diligence to maintain equality, professional standards and consumer protection in the construction industry through efforts to combat unlicensed contractor activity," Delgadillo explained how unlicensed contractors are a threat not just to law-abiding contractors, but also to consumers and society at large.
"I will not allow L.A. homeowners to be bilked out of their hard-earned money by con artists who flout the law, and cut corners to turn a profit," Delgadillo said.
In Los Angeles, the city attorney's office works closely with the Contractors State License Board, resulting in the filing of 156 criminal charges against unlicensed contractors since April 2006. To date, there have been 56 convictions and nearly $800,000 in restitution ordered for victims.
After explaining linking the rise in unlicensed contractors to membership in street gangs & the "new organized crime, very ruthless and coming to a neighborhood near you" & Delgadillo challenged contractors to help combat the problem by providing jobs to youths and young adults. "Gang members can be smart and hard working & they just need a 'first chance' to change their lives," he said. "Will you give them that 'first chance'?"
Assemblymember John Laird, the author of a series of bills on water conservation, outlined some steps to reduce water usage by 20 percent by the year 2020, without penalizing those who have already made an effort to be more efficient. He called for programs such as CLCA's Certified Water Manager Program, saying that "water conservation has to be a piece of everything that we do." In contrast to the "dire approach" described by Sen. McClintock, Laird predicted that the eventual solution will require a "balanced approach" of spending cuts and revenue augmentations that will be "a little painful to everyone involved."
Construction law guru Sam Abdulaziz gave an overall "thumbs up" on contractor relations with the CSLB and Senate Bill 1691, the Mechanics Lien law that is before the Legislature.
Afterwards, it was off to the capitol for meetings with lawmakers, and another successful legislative conference.