Wading through the paperwork to take advantage...
Wading through the paperwork to take advantage of government programs can be so time-consuming that it leaves a business person no time for business. So says Paul Mitchell, chairman of the 1,800-member Orange County Chamber of Commerce. He has taken on the task of helping business cut through red tape--from employee education to clean air regulations to rules for doing business overseas. Mitchell spoke recently about the Chamber’s projects with free-lance writer Anne Michaud.
How much clout does the Orange County Chamber of Commerce have with the state Legislature?
We think a fair amount. We keep in very close touch with our Orange County legislators. One of the functions of the Government Issues Council is to conduct a trip to Sacramento once a year.
When did that occur?
We’ve been up there already, in March. Maureen DeMarco (Gov. Pete Wilson’s adviser on child care and education) spoke to our people. It’s of vital interest to employers that education be fostered. I would say it prompted us to work with the (state’s) employment training panel, to see what we can do to facilitate our members being able to receive payment for the education they have to give their workers. We have a lot of jobs, a lot of jobs, that are hard to fill.
In this recession?
Well, for example, we have some very capable, talented people who just don’t speak the (English) language. We have some very competent people who would make great supervisors, and once they know the language, they’re able to do that.
What are the details of the state program?
It’s funded by our payroll taxes. If you have a job opening in your company, and you have an employee who you think is qualified but needs another skill, then the state will provide you with an educational program for that employee. Maybe the employee needs English or (to communicate with an immigrant staff) Spanish or Vietnamese. Maybe they need electronic computer keyboard work. You pay for it. Then, if after that the employee takes the new job and holds it for 90 days, then you get that expense of training him refunded to you.
(Employers) just don’t have a lot of time to find that type of training. We’re now working with the panel to be able to coordinate all that for our members.
Where do you find the biggest deficit in education today?
If a person can read, express himself in writing and can compute, there’s very little else that they need to get a good foothold in business. We have a number of people who graduated from high school, but their reading comprehension is not what it has to be. They can’t take instructions that are written and follow them through, and they have an equally difficult time getting enough people who can write instructions.
Can you tell me about the Chamber’s mentor program?
We’re starting to set that up. It’s for people who have been in business for themselves maybe one or two years, and they begin to think they would like to talk to someone who’s been in business longer, to lead them through a bit. We’re trying to find “proteges” who want this help, and mentors who are willing to give four to six hours a month. We’re working with the Small Business Administration on that.
You’re also helping businesses with certification issues, isn’t that right?
Yes. If you want to get certified as a female- or minority-owned business, federal contracts require one type of certification, and the state wants a totally different type of certification. By the time you’ve done all the certification, you haven’t had time to go out and hunt for the business. So we’re working very hard at the county, state and federal levels to bring about a common certification that would take care of it all.
It sounds like you envision the Chamber as acting as the translator between government and business.
Not really a translator, but a facilitator. We can facilitate the efforts of our members. Right now, there are members of our chamber who make or produce something that they’re hungry for in Eastern Europe or in the Pacific Rim. We’re trying to facilitate them getting together with people in those countries.
Can you elaborate?
Well, the Chamber isn’t necessarily designed for small business--our membership is composed of the largest companies in the county--but we probably render more service to small businesses. We have an international subcommittee for the small-business executive, which has just finished one workshop on the Pacific Rim and is getting ready for another one on Eastern Europe. We’re working very hard to to allow those businesses in Orange County that want to take advantage of these markets.
What is your energy and environment committee working on?
Our number one issue there is making sure that everyone in this county--but primarily our members--is fully aware of the rules and regulations of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The Chamber is supporting in Sacramento a proposal that will require Air Quality Management Districts throughout the entire state to issue a list of the violations and what the fines could be. Right now, that list doesn’t exist.
You’re also watching how transportation tax dollars are spent, isn’t that true?
Yes. We were a heavy backer of Measure M (the transportation sales tax passed last year by voters). We have a separate subcommittee that is charged with oversight of the measure. Now that it has passed, we want to make sure it’s supposed to do these things that it said it would do, that the money is being spent the way it was promised.
On development...
‘Growth is relative. When I came here in ‘52, we had 250,000 people in the county, and half of them thought that was enough.’
On the role of the chamber...
‘There is a need for a common business voice representing the whole county. It’s natural for legislators, if they want to find out what the business community thinks, to come to us.’
On Orange County’s image...
‘Some of the folks in Sacramento don’t necessarily love Orange County, but they know there’s an Orange County.’
On what sets this county apart...
‘Our growth is a whole lot different than most counties. The steady change from agriculture to a service-oriented county--that makes us different.’
On government...
‘At the state level, we should go back to a part-time Legislature. Years ago, the Legislature met for six months, then they went home and lived with the laws they made.’
