Chamber: We won't back another paycheck protection measure

Last week Capitol Weekly reported that the Alliance for a Better California sent a threatening letter "saying that if the business organization supports another so-called "paycheck protection" initiative, labor groups will retaliate by putting "shareholder protection" on the ballot. " If such a measure should resurface, they said, "fair play demands that any restrictions imposed on the political rights of workers should also be applied equally to your shareholders--a step we are fully prepared to take to ensure a level playing field." Lou Paulson, head of the state's firefighter's union, said he is tired of the "zealots saying we are going to keep bringing this issue up," after voters turned back a similar initiative, Proposition 226, in 1998 and again this year. "In [Props.] 226 and 75, we were defending ourselves…If you are going to continue to attack us, then at some point in time we are going to go on the offense," he said. Until today, the Chamber had not officially replied to the letter. In a statement, California Chamber of Commerce President Allan Zaremberg and California Business Roundtable President Bill Hauck said: “It would be counter productive to solving the state’s problems if an upcoming ballot included another union dues measure or a similar measure to seek shareholder approval before company resources could be spent in the political process. An acrimonious campaign on either one of these measures diverts attention from critical issues facing the state and should be avoided for the best interests of California.