Sen. Scott Brown Questions Obama's `bitter' Strong Arming of Health Care

Newly arrived Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts accused President Barack Obama and Democrats on Saturday of a "bitter, destructive and endless" drive to pass health overhaul legislation that Brown warned would be disastrous.

"An entire year has gone to waste," Brown said in the weekly GOP radio and Internet address. "Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, and many more jobs are in danger. Even now, the president still hasn't gotten the message.

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Unemployment Insurance Tax Increase

Unemployment Insurance Tax IncreaseNJ's Unemployment Insurance Fund Is Insolvent;
NJBIA Fights $1 Billion Payroll Tax Hike in 2010

New Jersey's Unemployment Insurance Fund is effectively bankrupt, paying out more in unemployment benefits than it collects in payroll taxes. If nothing is done, NJ employers will get hit with a $1 billion payroll tax increase on July 1 that would cost an average of $400 per employee. For some companies, the increase would be as much as $1,000 or more per employee.
To avoid a one-year tax increase of this magnitude, NJBIA has formed a UI coalition and is pushing for legislation to: 1) reform the State's bankrupt Unemployment Insurance Compensation Fund, 2) soften the blow of the tax hike by phasing it in over three years, and 3) bring NJ's UI benefits more in line with other states.

The Association strongly supports Governor Chris Christie's plan to make these and other common sense changes to the State’s unemployment insurance system.

Return to this page to keep up with developments in NJBIA's campaign to prevent a $1 billion payroll tax hike this year.

White House Health Care 2.0 – More of the Same

The President said he hoped the so-called “health care summit” would be an open and frank discussion on how to improve the health care system. Instead, the President, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid dominated nearly four hours of the six hours with a ‘filibuster’ of the same arguments that the clear majority of Americans have already rejected.

Yet, with no official bill for the American people and their representatives to actually examine, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid are preparing to short-circuit the legislative process, using the so-called “reconciliation” process to ram their bill through Congress and right onto the President desk. Not a good prescription for promoting consumer confidence in the midst of a recession!

Wall Street Journal’s editorial: “Obamacare at Ramming Speed”:

NJECPAC Supports Governor's Plan to To Prevent $1 Billion Payroll Tax Hike

The NJECPAC strongly supports Governor Chris Christie’s plan to provide relief to employers by phasing in the tax increase over three years.
New Jersey’s Unemployment Insurance Fund is effectively bankrupt, paying out more in unemployment benefits than it collects in payroll taxes. If nothing is done, NJ employers will be hit with a $1 billion tax increase to replenish the fund. That would cost an average of $400 per employee and up to $683 per employee, according to the Governor.
The Governor held a news conference to unveil his plan to avoid the $1 billion tax increase and his proposal to return the State’s bankrupt Unemployment Insurance Fund to solvency.

Claim That Republicans Have No Ideas Rebuked

Claim That Republicans Have No Ideas Rebuked

On Saturday, October 31, 2009, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) discussed Republicans’ plan for common-sense health care reform our nation can afford.  The address emphasized four common-sense reforms that will lower health care costs and expand access to quality care without a government takeover of our nation’s health care system that kills jobs, raises taxes on small businesses, or cuts Medicare for seniors:

• Number one: let families and businesses buy health insurance across state lines.
• Number two: allow individuals, small businesses, and trade associations to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do.
• Number three: give states the tools to create their own innovative reforms that lower health care costs.
• Number four: end junk lawsuits that contribute to higher health care costs by increasing the number of tests and procedures that physicians sometimes order not because they think it's good medicine, but because they are afraid of being sued.

http://www.gop.gov/solutions/healthcare

Obama's Health Care Proposal PDF

With Dems Sinking, GOP Better Come up With a Plan read more

The political numbers tell a grim story. In five decades of closely following American politics, I have never seen the Democratic Party in worse shape. Democrats trail in polls in 11 of the 18 Democratic-held Senate seats up this fall and lead in polls in none of the 18 Republican-held seats.

IECVotes.com website

 IEC VOTES  

This site is IEC’s most powerful tool in making sure our elected officials hear from their constituents on issues that affect merit shop contractors and the electrical industry. More than ever, it is crucial that Congress hear about the impact issues like health care reform, paid sick leave, and the Employee Free Choice Act could have not  only on IEC members but their employees as well.

Lame Duck Round Up: Regulations and Workforce Training Bills

Mandatory Apprenticeship Programs

Legislators did not approve a mandatory apprenticeship program that would have effectively shut nonunion contractors out of public works contracts. NJBIA had been fighting A-4305 (DeAngelo), which would have required contractors to have approved apprenticeship programs for each trade an employer utilizes, thereby eliminating less costly, quality nonunion competition. The bill was designed to give unions a monopoly on public works contracts and would have greatly increased costs for taxpayers. 

Prevailing Wage Bill SENATE, No. 2340 STATE OF NEW JERSEY click here

Synopsis
     Concerns prevailing wage in construction projects connected with the Board of Public Utilities financial assistance
     As reported by the Assembly Labor committee on May 11, 2009, with amendments.


An Act concerning prevailing wage requirements for certain construction contracts undertaken in connection with Board of Public Utilities financial assistance and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statues.


Be IT ENACTED By the Senate and General Assembly of the Sate of New Jersey.


1. The Board of Public Utilities shall adopt rules and regulations requiring that not less than the prevailing wage rate be paid to workers employed in the performance of any construction undertaken in connection with board financial assistance, or undertaken to fulfill nay condition of receiving board financial assistance, including the performance of any contact to construct, renovate or otherwise prepare a facility, the operations of which are necessary for the receipt of board financial assistance*, except that the prevailing wage rate requirements of this section shall not apply to any contract which is less than the prevailing wage contract threshold amount for municipalities provide din paragraph (a) of subsection (11) of section 2 of P>L> 1963, c.150 (C.34:11-56.26).  The prevailing wage rate shall be the rate determined by the commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development pursuant to the provisions of P>L> 1963, c. 150 (C.34:11-56.25 et seq.). For the purposes of this section, "board financial assistance" means any tax exemption, abatement or other incentive or any rebate, credit, loan, loan guarantee, expenditure, investment, grant, incentive, or other financial assistance which is, in connection with construction, approved funded, authorized, administered or provided by the board, whether the assistance is received before, during or after completion of the construction, except that "board financial assistance" does not include any rebate, credit, loan, loan guarantee, expenditure, investment, grant, rental voucher, rental assistance, tax assistance form any source, if that assistance is provided directly to a homeowner or tenant in connection with the homeowners' or tenant's place of residence, or if that assistance is provided for any new construction or weatherization of single family home, town home or row home or of any apartment building, condominium building, or multi-family home of four stories or less.
     For the purpose of implementing the provision of this section, the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development shall exercise all powers and duties granted by P>L> 1963, c.150 (C.34:11-56.25 et seq.) regarding the payment of the prevailing wage and any worker employed in the performance of construction work subject tot this section, and the employer or any designated representative of the worker, any exercise all rights granted to them by that act.


2.   This act shall take effect immediately.