(August 4, 2003) The 'Pink Slip Express' was in San Diego last week delivering the message to state lawmakers that jobs are leaving California as a result of their anti-business proposals.

The event highlighted local businesses that are suffering and closing their doors due to job-killing legislation, and featured members of the Coalition for California Jobs (CCJ) who detailed the problems that have caused the state’s business climate to become so hostile.

The 'Pink Slip Express' – a moving van representing jobs leaving California – stopped at Buck Knives, a maker of quality knives which has provided well-paying manufacturing jobs in San Diego County for nearly 50 years, but is being forced to close shop and move to Idaho as a direct result of anti-business legislation and regulations.

'We are a family-owned business that is proud to provide family-wage jobs for our employees,' said CJ Buck, president and CEO of Buck Knives. 'We’ve been in this community for four generations and almost 60 years and we are grateful for the strong friendships we’ve made. But sadly, the high cost of doing business in California has forced us to make choices that are best for our business. While we’ve made the decision to move our operations to Idaho, we remain committed to doing everything we can to provide a better California for our employees and for our many business partners. We will continue to innovate and make the highest quality products in the future and hope that California does what’s right to provide a better legislative environment that does not put its businesses at competitive disadvantage.'

Local elected officials sympathized with the plight of Buck Knives, and other businesses in the area facing similar circumstances.

'California has the highest workers’ compensation rates in the nation and the highest energy costs,' said Supervisor Dianne Jacob, Vice Chair, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. 'If you add to that a multi-billion dollar state budget deficit, Buck Knives and a lot of other businesses are scared that the state is going to balance the budget on the backs of business given the current list of ‘job killer’ legislation that is pending in the legislature.'

The 2003 'job killer' list is the longest and most damaging to employers and employees in CCJ’s history, including over 50 'job killer' bills. These bills are on top of the dozens of 'job killers' passed in previous years that have driven the cost of doing business in California up to prohibitively high levels.

'There are dozens of reasons businesses locate in California – a skilled and diverse workforce, world class cities and universities, and a great quality of life, among others,' said Richard Costigan, Vice President of Government Relations, California Chamber of Commerce. 'But the assault being waged against California businesses by the state legislature is forcing businesses and jobs out of our state. We must stop the ‘job killer’ bills in this legislative session, and enact proposals to stimulate our economy – like a significant overhaul of our broken workers’ compensation system – or businesses will continue to look elsewhere.'

The decline in San Diego’s business climate is living proof that recent legislative actions have adversely impacted the region, and the entire state.

'In 2002, San Diego was declared by Forbes Magazine to be the ‘Best Place for Business and Careers,’ however, in the same survey conducted in 2003, ‘cost of doing business’ for the first time was a factor in the rankings—and San Diego dropped to 27th on the list,' said Jessie J. Knight, Jr., President and CEO, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. 'Forbes highlighted what California businesses and chambers have been stating, that the increasing cost of operating a business in California is resulting in companies looking to locate or expand elsewhere.'

'Imposing taxes, fees and new barriers to doing business on an economy that has already shed 293,000 high wage manufacturing jobs since January 2001 is simply unconscionable,' continued Costigan. 'For all their stated concern about working families and their hand-wringing over the economy, policymakers in Sacramento have largely turned a blind eye to the connection between the policies they create and the consequences for their constituents.'

The Coalition for California Jobs’ San Diego event followed the annual release of its 'job killer' bill list on the steps of the State Capitol in June and Pink Slip Express visits to Los Angeles, Long Beach and Bakersfield. The 'Pink Slip Express' will be traveling to other legislative districts throughout California to highlight the steps the legislature must take to start stimulating California’s economy.

Staff Contact: Sara Lee