Daily Business Report-April 16, 2019
Charter school advocates and teachers unions mass at the Capitol on April 10, as state lawmakers consider dramatic curbs on charter schools. (Photo for CALmatters by Dan Morain)
State lawmakers advance a raft
of union-backed charter school curbs
By Ricardo Cano | CALmatters
As charter school advocates rallied en masse and California’s teachers’ unions flexed their political muscle, a cluster of bills that would dramatically curb the growth of charters in the state cleared the Assembly Education Committee on April 10. The votes were the first in what figures to be a lengthy, high-stakes battle this session between two of the state’s most powerful education interests.
That the legislative panel passed Assembly Bills 1505, 1506 and 1507 wasn’t surprising—the authors of the trio of bills sponsored by the California Teachers Association made up two-thirds of the panel, which is chaired by a longtime public school teacher and former member of the CTA’s policymaking assembly.
But the hearing, which featured more than five hours of impassioned debate and testimony from hundreds of people, offered a glimpse of just how consequential the charter proposals are to teachers unions and charter advocates.
While the two sides have battled for decades—typically to a draw—the political momentum has shifted in favor of organized labor this session.
A wave of high-profile teacher strikes this year in Los Angeles and Oakland put the spotlight on unions’ claim that the growth of charter schools, which are mostly nonunion, has financially stressed traditional public schools, siphoning enrollment and public funding.
And following the strikes, Gov. Gavin Newsom, who won office with the support of organized labor, signed fast-tracked legislation that requires charter schools to follow the same open-meeting and conflict of interest laws as school districts. The new law and other charter restrictions had been vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown.
The three bills heard Wednesday aim to make the most significant changes to California’s charter school law in the 27 years since its inception. Depending on the viewpoint, the bills either make long-overdue and necessary reforms to how charters are overseen, or mark the beginning of the end for charter schools in California.
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Report: Qualcomm Inc.’s economic impact
on San Diego region in 2018 totaled $4 billion
Qualcomm had an economic impact of $4 billion on the San Diego region’s economy in 2018, according to a study released by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. Qualcomm sponsored the study and provided employee data for EDC’s impact analysis.
According to the study, Qualcomm in 2018 created 1,600 job postings, “recruiting top-tier entrepreneurial talent while continuing to dedicate resources to strengtheing our communities and education the next generation.”
Roughly 12 percent of the region’s total tech talent is employed by Qualcomm, according to the study, which said, “To break down the impact on local jobs, Qualcomm has created: 10,170 induced jobs, which come from the result of local spending of labor income; 7,680 indirect jobs, the effect of local, inter-industry or B2B spending through existing economic structure; and 10,030 Qualcomm employees, which all adds up to an outstanding 27,880 total jobs. Because of this, for every job at Qualcomm, an additional 1.8 jobs are supported elsewhere in the San Diego economy. It truly is the job multiplier – integrating other companies and industries to provide support and collaboration that leads to industry-leading technology.”
Click here for the economic study, “Qualcomm’s Contributions to San Diego’s Economy.”
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Convention Center ballot
measure moved up to March
San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego voters will decide next March whether to raise hotel taxes to expand the waterfront convention center and provide many millions for local homelessness programs and street repair. The City Council voted 5-4 Monday to hold a citywide vote on raising hotel taxes eight months earlier than previously anticipated – the March 2020 primary instead of the November 2020 general election.
Supporters said holding the election earlier will increase the chances the measure is approved, because the November 2020 ballot is expected to include other tax increases that could compete for voter support.
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Take a number: $4.3 billion
At least 60 companies reported that their 2018 federal tax rates amounted to effectively zero under the 2017 federal tax overhaul, the Center for Public Integrity reports.
The report: “Instead of paying $16.4 billion in taxes, as the new 21 percent corporate tax rate requires, these companies enjoyed a net corporate tax rebate of $4.3 billion.”
Chevron and Netflix are two California-based companies on the list.
— Dan Morain, CALmatters
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Ocean tunnel pop-up art installation
on view at Scripps Oceanography
A unique, interactive art installation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography opened to the public on Saturday, April 13. The exhibit is the vision of Madeleine Hamann, a physical oceanography Ph.D. student at Scripps Oceanography, who was inspired to use an immersive art experience as a way to educate people on the change occurring in the oceans.
Ocean Tunnel showcases how the oceans have changed over the past hundred years and how they might look in the future. A 125-foot-long, 8-foot-tall tunnel filled with murals of marine life, the installation features the work of various national and international artists on its five arching panels. Upon entering, visitors find themselves surrounded by a diverse, healthy ocean with large fish and a variety of species. As they progress, the diversity dwindles and the fish become smaller, reflecting changes caused by human pressure on the oceans. Visitors end in a very different ocean than where they began, surrounded only by jellyfish; a future projection that could become reality.
The installation is located on the south side of Sverdrup Hall, near the intersection of La Jolla Shores Drive and El Paseo Grande, and will remain open until Tuesday, April 30. It is free for visitors and Scripps hopes to attract the attention of and educate those on their way to and from the beach.
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Cubic awarded contract from
New Zealand Ministry of Defence
Cubic Corporation announced that its Cubic Missions Solutions business division was awarded a contract from the New Zealand Ministry of Defence to deliver command and control capabilities to support the Network Enabled Army (NEA) program’s Tactical Network project. The NEA program is a transformational program to be delivered in four tranches over 12 years and will benefit the New Zealand Army’s Land Forces and Special Operations Forces.
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PR and marketing executive
Anna Crowe launches debut book
Anna Crowe, founder and CEO of San Diego PR and marketing agency Crowe PR, has launched her debut book, “Get Real: The Power of Genuine Leadership, a Transparent Culture, and an Authentic You.”
In the book, Crowe discusses the power of authenticity in unlocking one’s full potential in life, career, business and marketing, placing emphasis on four core pillars of genuine leadership, personal authenticity, a transparent corporate culture and brand authenticity. She highlights the importance of ‘getting real’ and provides practical tips for cultivating genuine habits, creating your personal roadmap and embracing what’s uniquely yours for ultimate success and happiness.
“Authenticity has been a consistent guiding principle in my personal and professional life,” said Crowe. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve searched for people, jobs and activities that brought out the best in me and enabled me to capitalize on what’s uniquely mine. Many people are afraid to be themselves or to try new things for the risk of being judged, misunderstood or not believing they have enough to offer, especially young professionals and new leaders. I wrote this book with hopes of igniting a spark in others to follow what feels genuinely right, no matter how small the steps, as everyone has the ability to design their dream life and live their best every single day.”
“Get Real: The Power of Genuine Leadership, a Transparent Culture, and an Authentic You” is sold on Amazon.com. The Kindle edition costs $6.99 and paperback sells for $15.99.
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DRESS WHITE INSPECTION
