Container fee legislation marked as top ?job killer?

Container fee legislation marked as top ôjob killerö The California Chamber of Commerce has identified the SB974 'container tax' legislation as one of the year's top “job killer” bills.
   The annual list highlights legislation the CalChamber feels will have the most negative impact on California’s global competitiveness.
   “These bills are the worst of the worst by singling California out and making the state a less desirable place to do business,” said Allan Zaremberg, CalChamber president and chief executive officer. “These ‘job killers’ would reverse (the upward job creation) trend by imposing new mandates and taxes that will stifle investment and job growth and decrease revenue to the state’s coffers.”
   SB974, also known as the Lowenthal Bill after author State Sen. Alan Lowenthal, seeks to attach a $30-per-TEU fee to each container moving in and out of the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland. The CalCamber believes the fee is not constitutional and would increase the cost of shipping goods, making California less competitive.
   Also, among the bills on this year’s 'job killer' list are new health care taxes, rollbacks of workers compensation reform, limits on affordable housing and development, and restrictions on the use of voter-approved transportation funding.
   In addition to publishing and publicizing the list, the CalChamber monitors each bill for the rest of the legislative session and works to educate legislators about the serious consequences they feel the bills would have on the state.