Orange County Business Council

Besides beautiful beaches, Disneyland and the original "Real Housewives" TV show, Orange County might have a new claim to fame. The fastest-growing segment of the county's economy is now the clean-tech market, according to government and industry officials. Hundreds of green companies are settling in the area, long known for its real estate development and medical device industry. The number of clean-tech jobs in the county, currently around 20,000, is growing about 5% each year, according to the Orange County Business Council.

The Future Is Orange: Author and futurist John Naisbitt will discuss Orange County's future and its link to the global economy in an economic outlook conference Wednesday presented by the Orange County Business Council. Nasbitt is a former executive with IBM and Eastman Kodak, and his books include "Megatrends" and "Global Paradox." Also speaking at the conference, which runs from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Anaheim Hilton and Towers, is Jan Mittermeier, the county's new chief executive.

Inside Tom W. Bogard's office, maps are everywhere. They help the highway director for the Orange County Transportation Authority see the future -- or at least where the next caution signs for construction will be posted. Over the next five years, Bogard and his counterparts in neighboring counties will act as railroad yardmasters, coordinating projects to relieve congestion so they are spaced apart and done mostly at night, so commuters can avoid delays.

Spin City: The Orange County Business Council, lamenting an effort by some state legislators to reinstate the requirement that hourly workers receive overtime pay for any work over eight hours a day, says the measure would make it hard for companies to allow workers to make up for time lost because of medical appointments or other personal or family matters.

The excellent Nov. 16 article on Orange County's high-tech future points out that the lack of cooperation among the county's entities and individuals may diminish its bright future. However, there are institutions generating cooperation and providing support for high-tech entrepreneurs. The Tech Coast Advisory Group operated through the Orange County Business Council offers support and assistance to technology-driven enterprises. The article failed to mention this group and the important role it can play in Orange County achieving its potential.

Concerned over rising home costs, several public and private groups have formed the Orange County Affordable Home Ownership Alliance in an effort to increase the housing supply for working families. Housing costs have become employers' biggest barrier in recruiting and retaining employees in Orange County, according to a study released this year by the Orange County Housing and Community Development Department.

Recently, the Orange County Business Council invited UCI Chancellor Laurel L. Wilkening to brief our board of directors on the university's investigation into the Center for Reproductive Health. After hearing an in-depth presentation, we applaud the chancellor for her determination and courage in pursuing the truth, and her willingness to speak candidly to us at this time. Clearly the facts surrounding this issue need to be brought to the public's attention and those responsible must be held accountable.

Re "Pay to Clean the Beaches? Most Say Yes" (Aug. 30): The Cal State Fullerton and Orange County Business Council survey regarding who will pay the cost of cleaning Orange County beaches indicates about 72% who were asked said "all the people." Well, that is nice, except not all the people use the beach and not all businesses benefit from the crowds who attend the beach. Why not raise the money by increasing the parking fee by $2 and add a beach cleanup surcharge to merchandise sold near the beach, including a $1 tippler charge for bar drinks?

In his letter published on Dec. 28, Orange County Business Council President and CEO Stan Oftelie wrote, "The Orange County Business Council believes that the decision to explore the possibility of an interim cargo use at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station is sound." This is untrue. Mr. Oftelie has no idea what the Business Council members believe on this point because he has never asked us. In fact, many of us believe that the Board of Supervisors' recent decision to explore a "possibility" that is illegal under federal law is a waste of taxpayer dollars, irrespective of the possible merits of the aviation reuse plan in general.

Showing a significant increase in support since last year, 69% of Orange County residents surveyed said they favor a proposed light-rail system linking John Wayne Airport and the Santa Ana train station, according to a survey released this week. But nearly half the respondents said they were unfamiliar with the project.

An initiative to resurrect California's open primary, being circulated for the November 2004 ballot, was endorsed Thursday in a rare move by the Orange County Business Council. The council, the county's largest business group, generally doesn't endorse measures before they've qualified for the ballot, Chief Executive Officer Stan Oftelie said. But in this case, he said, the proposal isn't new: Voters overwhelmingly passed open primaries in 1996 but the law was overturned in court.

Orange County needs to spend up to $20 billion over the next two decades on school facilities, roads, sewage and water pipes, and other infrastructure, according to panelists at an Orange County Business Council conference Tuesday in Huntington Beach.

Re "Runway or Walkway? Measure W to Decide," Commentary, Feb. 3: In their continued misguided effort to promote an unneeded, unwanted and unsafe airport at El Toro, Stan Oftelie of the Orange County Business Council and Reed Royalty of the Orange County Taxpayers Assn. offer one more example of the "sky is falling" alarmist mentality of the pro-airport faction. Their article contends that Orange County's "explosive growth" over the last 20 years demands an airport at El Toro. They neglect to point out that even with that growth, John Wayne Airport, in its restricted capacity, has more than adequately handled the county's demand for passenger service.

Business executives in Orange County have quickly cut back their financial expectations in the wake of the terrorist attacks, according to a survey released Wednesday. But those in finance and real estate said the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts have softened the blow from the weakening economy. Overall, the poll by UC Irvine's Graduate School of Management found that 20% of the respondents were expecting worse financial results this year.

Most Orange County residents believe the county is heading in the right direction but name traffic and transportation as the area's biggest problem. They also weigh in on a few other topics, blaming deregulation for the state's energy woes and remain largely unmoved on their opinions about a proposed airport at El Toro, according to results released Thursday from a quarterly survey by the Orange County Business Council and the Center for Public Policy at Cal State Fullerton.

The Orange County Film Commission will join the county Tourism Council at Cal State Fullerton's new Center for Entertainment and Tourism, the university said Friday. The tourism and film organizations had been part of the private Orange County Business Council but "will have more autonomy" on campus, said Business Council head Stan Oftelie.

Re "Pay to Clean the Beaches? Most Say Yes" (Aug. 30): The Cal State Fullerton and Orange County Business Council survey regarding who will pay the cost of cleaning Orange County beaches indicates about 72% who were asked said "all the people." Well, that is nice, except not all the people use the beach and not all businesses benefit from the crowds who attend the beach. Why not raise the money by increasing the parking fee by $2 and add a beach cleanup surcharge to merchandise sold near the beach, including a $1 tippler charge for bar drinks?

The Orange County Film Commission will join the county Tourism Council at Cal State Fullerton's new Center for Entertainment and Tourism, the university said Friday. The tourism and film organizations had been part of the private Orange County Business Council but "will have more autonomy" on campus, said Business Council head Stan Oftelie.