Government Affairs Committee
Positions Taken March 15, 2010

Please review the following positions adopted by the Government Affairs Committee at its March 15, 2010 meeting.

If there is any objection to these positions, please inform the United Chambers office by return email by 5:00 pm on March 24, 2010. If there is the requisite number of objections, the issues will be brought before the General Assembly.

If the objections do not meet the requirements of the By-Laws (see below) the positions will become the policy of the United Chambers.

There were five positions taken:

   1. Hollywood Sign Preservation
          * Endorse Hollywoodsign.org's effort to save the setting around the Hollywood Sign
          * Moved-Horace Heidt, Second-Joe Vitti
          * Passed unanimously

   2. Open Primary
          * Oppose Proposition 14, "Open Primary Initiative"
          * Moved-Rose Goldwater, Second-Stew Deatz
          * Vote: 6 yes/ 2 no/ 3 abstain
          * Passed

   3. Police Force Cutbacks
          * Approve of the same level of law enforcement in Los Angeles County as a balance of early prisoner release.
          * Moved-Rose Goldwater, Second- Vic Viereck
          * Vote: 8 yes/ 1 no/ 1 abstain
          * Passed

   4. Charity Tax Deduction Limits
          * Oppose proposed reduction of the amount of tax deductions for charities.
          * Moved-Rose Goldwater, Second-Vic Viereck
          * Vote: 10 yes/ 0 no/ 0 abstain
          * Passed

   5. Witholding Tax/1099's

          * Oppose proposed 3% withholding on independent contractor payments which are already subject to Form 1099 reporting as it places additional unnecessary burdens on small business.
          * Moved-Rose Goldwater, Second-Horace Heidt
          * Vote: 10 yes/ 0 no/ 0 abstain
          * Passed


"Section 4. Adoption of Positions
 
     A) A position paper or Report of Actions (added 9/07) adopted by a majority vote of the Governmental Affairs committee shall be the position of the United Chambers 2 (revised9/07) business days following the dissemination of the position to the United Chambers Board of Directors and member organizations, unless:

    1) The Chair, Elected Co-Chairs of Governmental Affairs, The Chief Executive or any three directors, or any three members, or the Governmental Affairs Committee request to refer the position paper to the General Assembly for a vote.

   2) Such request for referral must be registered by facsimile, email, or other traceable medium with the United Chambers office within two business days after the dissemination of the position paper or Report of Actions to the members. (deleted by mail (09/07)

   B) If a position paper or Report of Actions is forwarded to the General Assembly, it will be placed on the agenda for the General Assembly Meeting.

      1) A majority vote adopts the position paper."


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