Doug Barnhart,
the Chairman of the Board of
Barnhart Inc., will
be installed as the 89th
President of the AGC of America on
Thursday,
March 13th, 2008.
The Installation will be held beginning at 3:00 p.m. during the
closing convention ceremony at the AGC of America’s 89th
Annual Convention, which will be held at the
Bellagio Hotel in
Las Vegas.
AGC San Diego
Chapter and the
AGC of California
will also host a reception honoring Doug and his wife Nancy,
March 13th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Monet
Ballroom. Invitations will be
mailed to all members this week. If you plan to
attend, please contact Rae Krushensky at AGC at
raek@agcsd.org, or call (858) 731- 8157.
The
reception will be an outstanding tribute to Doug and Nancy, and
to San Diego. The reception will feature an actual sand beach,
sails with San Diego landmarks, and a number of other features
that detail San Diego, and will encourage those attending to
register for the 2009 AGCA
Convention, which will be held in San Diego.
All
AGC San Diego members are invited to attend the installation and
the reception. AGC of America will not require attendees to
register for the convention if you are attending only the
installation and the reception. Rooms are also available at the
Bellagio for Thursday evening through the AGC of America.
The convention
starts Monday March 10th.
It will be held in conjunction with CONEXPO, the largest
construction exposition in the United States. AGC members may
attend the entire convention or register on a day-by-day basis
depending on your schedule. If you would like to attend the
convention, in addition to the Barnhart Installation and
Reception, registration forms may be found by
CLICKING HERE. There are a number of outstanding speakers
and seminars, as well as outstanding social events.
Questions…contact Rae Krushensky on the AGC staff at
raek@agcsd.org or at
858-731-8157.
The Hijacking of California’s Environmental Laws
During
the next couple of weeks, MMQB will be featuring editorials
concerning the shameless hijacking of California’s environmental
laws by certain building trades unions. Our research has
detailed an effort that is headed by our friends in the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the
United Association Local 447, and the Sheet Metal Workers.
Our
first editorial on this subject is a reprint of a February 2,
2008 editorial in the
Sacramento Bee. Please read this, and we will show
the connection next week between this editorial and our local
and statewide union leaders.
Editorial
2/2/08: CEQA’s being hijacked; where are the enviros?
With shameless
abandon, lawyers and monied players are abusing the state’s
premier environmental law – the California Environmental Quality
Act.
Lawmakers
enacted CEQA in 1970 so citizens could identify projects that
posed an unacceptable environmental impact, and change them or
challenge them. Over the years, various interests have hijacked
this law for environmental purposes, and conservation groups
have looked the other way.
All of us know
about “neighborhood groups” that have exploited this law to
prevent construction of affordable housing. Corporations have
used CEQA in an attempt to stifle competition. An example is
the Westfield Corp., the Australian owner of Downtown Plaza
mall, which is now suing the city over its approval of the rail
yard development, slated to bring new retail and housing to
downtown.
Labor unions
are an even larger abuser of CEQA. In recent years, labor
groups have used environmental lawsuits, or the threat of such
suits, to stop or slow down power plant construction, hospital
expansions and housing developments. The unions’ lawyers always
seem to disappear once a developer has signed an agreement to
hire only union labor.
Critics call
this practice “greenmail,” a polite term for legal extortion.
The combined effect is to drive up the cost of new houses,
hospital beds and other projects, with little or no benefit for
the environment.
Consider the
example of William Kopper, a former mayor of Davis. Kopper is
suing, or threatening to sue, the rail yard, the Greenbriar
project in Natomas, Placer Vineyards, and the Yuba County over
alleged CEQA violations. Kopper won’t disclose his clients, but
his history is well known.
In the late
1990s, the Mid-Valley Trades Council hired Kopper to challenge
the impacts of a proposed auto raceway in Yuba County. After
the trades council reached agreement with the developer, Kopper
dropped his objections. “I wasn’t authorized to do any more
work on it,” Kopper told the Bee.
A few years
ago, Kopper sued to halt the Roseville’s westward expansion.
The lawsuit was dropped after developers signed a project labor
agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Ironworkers Local 340 , the United Association Local 447, and
the Sheet Metal Workers Local 162.
Oddly,
environmental leaders in California have remained mum on his
hijacking of environmental law. Their silence reflects a
marriage of convenience between labor and environmental groups
and, possibly, some financial entanglements.
For several
years, a group called California Unions for Reliable Energy
(CURE) has used CEQA to slow or block power plants, including a
geothermal plant in Imperial County. As it happens, CURE
employs a law firm founded by Tom Adams, the current president
of the California League of Conservation Voters.
Defenders of
CEQA should be outraged. They also should be worried. As the
abuses and misuses mount, they create ammunition for industry
groups that would like to see California’s landmark law revoked
or seriously weakened. Greenmail hurts CEQA’s credibility. Why
are leading environmentalists complicit with their silence?
Rescue Task Force Backpacks…..Thank you AGC San Diego Members!!!
By Jim Ryan, AGCSD Executive Vice President
I will
have the pleasure of delivering later this morning, funds that
the Rescue Task Force will use immediately to supply
79 wounded troops
backpacks full of personal belongings that will make their stay
in Balboa or Walter Reed much more comfortable. The troops will
now have everything from sweat pants and sweatshirts to shaving
equipment, CD Players, cell phones and phone cards, gameboys, as
well as 30 or 40 other items. I am confident this gesture will
help them understand that AGC members appreciate their
sacrifice. Each backpack will have an AGC logo.
As I
have indicated a number of times …the generosity of the members
of this Chapter never ceases to amaze me….the following firms
contributed to this effort…
|
Asbury Steel Construction Co. |
J.R. Filanc Construction Co., Inc. |
|
The Augustine Company |
JBH Structural Concrete, Inc. |
|
Barnhart, Inc. |
Marks, Golia & Finch, LLP |
|
Bighorn Construction, Inc. |
Prestige Concrete |
|
Mitch and Nancy Burch |
QUIP/Con, Inc. |
|
Casper Company |
Reno
Contracting |
|
Clark
Construction |
Roel Construction Co., Inc. |
|
The Corona Firm, LLP |
Rossin Steel Co., Inc. |
|
Daley Corporation |
St. Thomas Enterprises, Inc. |
|
EC Constructors, Inc. |
Schaffer Enterprises |
|
Echo Pacific Construction, Inc. |
Sierra Pacific West, Inc. |
|
FCI Constructors, Inc. |
Synergy Electric Co., Inc. |
|
Hale Engineering & Surveying, Inc. |
Tower Glass |
|
Hawthorne
Machinery |
…as well as Jim Ryan and AGC Staff |
|
I.E. Pacific, Inc. |
|
Last
week AGCSD President John
Daley Jr.
Daley Corporation,
and Senior Vice President Kevin Elliott,
Roel Construction
attended the Annual AGC
Western Chapters Conference in Phoenix, and
challenged 19 other AGC Chapters from the western United States
to also raise funds for the Rescue Task Force backpack program.
During the meeting, the Chapters pledged
100 additional backpacks.
However, most chapters will pledge during this week, and we will
report additional pledges to the membership as they are made.
We
want to thank Jim Coffman
from Coffman Specialties
for bringing the Rescue Task Force to our attention. We also
want to thank each and every individual and firm that donated……you
are all “the best.”
State Election Update – One Down, Two to Go
By Dave Ackerman, AGC’s Legislative Advocate
The
first of three statewide elections this year is over, but the
impact from last Tuesday’s vote will be felt for months to come.
The
California voters have spoken, and have painted an interesting
picture of how they view the state. Elections in many respects
are snapshots in time about what voters are thinking. We all
know that it can change dramatically from one election to the
next and can be contradictory.
Winners and
Losers
The
big losers in this most recent election are Assembly Speaker
Fabian Nunez and Senator Pro Tem Don Perata. To some extent,
the Governor is a loser as well, since he will now have to spend
more time getting to know the new legislative leaders, or as he
referred to them, “all those characters”. The Governor came out
in the last few weeks pledging his support for Proposition 93
(changes to Legislative Term Limits), and although voters seem
to still like the Governor personally, he may have used his star
power too much on previous failed initiatives.
The
Speaker was counting on the initiative to pass to extend his
leadership another 6 years. The voters rejected Prop. 93 in
approximately 52 of the 58 counties across California. Even Los
Angeles County, which would presumably benefit from a Nunez win,
rejected it.
Legislative
Leadership Changes on the Way
Just
days after the election, Assembly Speaker Nunez and Senator Pro
Tem Perata issued press releases on the leadership transition
that will take place. In both instances, they promised an
orderly process (is there such a thing in Sacramento?).
On the Senate side, Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento)
will be the Democratic Caucus’s only candidate to succeed Perata.
A formal vote will be taken on Aug. 21.
Although March 11 is
the scheduled vote for a new Assembly Speaker, the new leader is
up in the air. Jockeying for the position are
Assembly Members Chuck Calderon, Hector De La Torre, Karen Bass,
Kevin De Leon, and Ed Hernandez.
Indian Gaming
Big Winner
Other
election observations: Californian’s are willing to expand more
slot machines, but only if they can take more of the Indian
tribe’s money for the state. It is somewhat of a reverse Robin
Hood theory. There aren’t any statistics available, but it
could be assumed that the ultra rich are not frequenting Indian
gaming casinos, so the “working Joe and retirees” will be doing
their fair share to assist California with its budget woes,
using the Indian gaming establishments as a conduit. The voters
approved Propositions 94-97 by approximately 56% in favor to 44%
against. It helped that the proponents of the four measures
spent over $109 million in support.
Lastly, the voters also rejected Proposition 92, aimed at tying
the Legislature’s hands in not allowing flexibility to fund or
not fund community colleges. The vote was approximately 42% in
favor to 58% against.
Proposition 91, the measure to protect Proposition 42
transportation funds, also failed on a 42% to 58% vote. It was
viewed by voters as a duplicate of what was accomplished with
the passage of Proposition 1A in November, 2006.
Lessons To Be
Learned
What
may we conclude from all of this?
One
conclusion is that since the legislative leadership is not
normally attempting to pass big initiatives to help California
business, a little bit of chaos at the top levels is not
necessarily a bad thing. The budget and election year politics
will certainly dominate this year’s session, which could
translate into legislative gridlock. Again, not a bad thing
from a business perspective. Regardless of what occurred last
week, we are all involved with California politics for the long
haul, and it simply means that we will have a few more new roads
to travel.
The Local Election Winners: Life Safety and School
Infrastructure Projects
Voters in the City
of Coronado, Poway Unified School District, Cajon Valley Union
School District, and Rancho Santa Fe School District
overwhelmingly supported
investments in infrastructure.
Coronado voters rejected
Proposition A, which would have required voter approval prior to
building or expanding permanent lifeguard facilities, restroom
facilities, or bike paths on the Coronado Beach. The City was
set to build a Lifeguard Public Safety Service Building on the
beach, and this measure was put on the ballot to stop the
construction.
The
failure of Proposition A opened the door for the construction of
the building, and the passage of Proposition B now allows it to
be built.
Voters
continue to support improving
school facilities, and the passage of bond measures
in
Poway Unified
School District (Prop. C), Cajon Valley Union School District
(Prop. D), and Rancho Santa Fe School District (Prop. E) will
allow for $179 million, $156.5 million, and $34 million in
bonds, respectively, to help fund the construction of many
needed projects.
Save Water – Join
the 20-Gallon Challenge
Dwindling
state water supplies, the shutdown of Delta Water Pumps,
desalinization, a reservoir augmentation plan, and the potential
future impact to the construction industry were topics of
discussion at last week’s Water Authority Liaison Committee
meeting. Also discussed was the Water Authority’s 20-Gallon
Challenge, and how AGC members could help the cause.
The 20-Gallon Challenge is a regional campaign to boost
voluntary water conservation. The region’s water agencies are
urging residents, businesses, and public water users to all
pitch in to help reduce water use immediately by 20 gallons per
person, per day – roughly 10 percent.
The need for saving more water is urgent. The state’s water
supplies have been impacted by two factors – record dry
conditions around much of California and the West, and
court-ordered restrictions on water deliveries from Northern
California. Even if the San Diego region has a wet winter,
water supplies for the region will remain strained. Saving more
water now means more can remain in storage to meet future
demands.
Increasing water conservation is something everyone can do. A
few simple actions – from shortening showers, to fixing leaks,
to cutting back on how much we water our lawns and landscapes –
can make a big difference.
Ideas for many free and easy ways to save water indoors and out,
plus a pledge form, are available at
http://www.20gallonchallenge.com/.
The site also features information on financial
incentives or vouchers on many water-saving devices and programs
for residents and businesses.
On behalf of the San Diego County Water Authority, we encourage
your families, companies, and employees to join the “20-Gallon
Challenge” for increased water conservation.
President Bush Proposes Cuts to Federal Construction Spending
The Bush
Administration has released its budget request to Congress for
fiscal year 2009. For federal construction accounts, the
Administration requests a 2.86 percent reduction from the levels
enacted last year. While the budget requests substantial
increases in defense and national security related accounts,
cuts are recommended for most non-defense construction
spending.
Below is a
comparison of selected federal construction accounts:
·
U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Construction: $1.4 billion, $892 million less than FY
2008 (39% reduction)
·
Environmental
Protection Agency, Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund
Program: $555 million, $134 million less than FY 2008 (20%
reduction)
Department of Defense, Military Construction:
$11.4 billion, $1.4 billion more than FY 2008 (14% increase)
·
Department of
Defense, Military Housing, $3.2 billion, $336 million more than
FY 2008 (12% increase)
·
Federal Aviation
Administration, Airport Improvement Program: $2.75 billion, $765
million less than FY 2008 (22% reduction)
·
Federal Highway
Administration, Federal-Aid Highway Obligation Limitation: $39.4
billion. $1.8 billion less than FY 2008 (4% reduction)
·
Federal Transit
Administration, Capital Investment Grants: $1.6 billion, $51.7
million more than FY 2008 (3% increase)
·
General Services
Administration, Construction: $630 million, $313.7 million more
than FY 2008 (102% increase)
The President’s
annual budget request to Congress serves as a blueprint for the
annual Congressional appropriations process. For more
information, contact Karen Bachman, AGC of America, at
bachmank@agc.org
or (202) 547-4733.
The San Diego Construction Network Continues to Grow!
iSqFt Seminar – February 20th
Over
the past nine months, general contractor participation in the
San Diego Construction Network has doubled and the base of
subcontractor members has increased by nearly 50%.
General contractors
throughout the San Diego area are encouraged to join us for
lunch and find out what the buzz is all about and how you can
significantly reduce the time and costs associated with document
distribution and dramatically
improve your bidding efforts.
The luncheon, sponsored
by the
AGC – San Diego
Chapter and iSqFt,
is scheduled for
Wednesday,
February 20th
from 11:30 am until 1:00 pm at
the AGC office, located at 6212 Ferris Square, San Diego, CA
92121.
To
RSVP, contact
the
Jessica Kovack, AGC, at
858-874-8560 ext. 11,
jessica@agcsd.org,
or
Victor Mundy,
iSqFt, at 800-813-3831,
vmundy@isqft.org.
AGC’s Technology Survey…
…How Advanced is the San Diego Construction Industry?
As
2008 begins, AGC’s Technology Trends in Construction Committee
has developed a construction technology based survey.
The survey's
purpose is to gain an understanding of the level of technology
utilized within the Construction industry. Your
participation in this survey will not result in solicitations to
you or your firm unless specifically requested.
We ask
that each AGC member company participate in this survey. The
committee will be providing the survey results to any company
that has participated.
Please click on
the following link to be taken directly to the survey:
CLICK FOR SURVEY
Survey
completion deadline is February 29th.
Should
you have any questions throughout the survey please contact
Jessica Kovack, Director of
Communications & Information Services, at
858-874-8560 ext. 11, or at
jessica@agcsd.org.
First AGC Mixer for 2008 – February 26th
Once
again, the AGC Affiliate Council will be sponsoring the first
AGC mixer of the year.
Platinum
Sponsors for this event are:
ABD Insurance,
Hawthorne Machinery Company, Marks Golia & Finch, LLP and US
Concrete Precast Group.
Gold & Silver
Sponsors are:
Polycomp
Administrative Services, RW Meler Consulting, Trench Shoring
Company, Acme Safety & Supply Corp., Data Net Solutions,
Enterprise Fleet Management & Hale Engineering.
The
mixer will be held at the popular
Dave & Buster’s
in Mission Valley, located at 2931 Camino del Rio North, San
Diego, CA 92108 on
Tuesday, February 26 at 5:00 – 7:00 P.M.
Note
that members are
required to pre-register BY
CLICKING HERE FOR REGISTRATION FORM.
Fax to
858-558-8444.
Contact Rae Krushensky at 858-731-8157 with any questions.
