Blog
FBA’s Public Policy Goals for 2020
The following is FBA's Public Policy Goals for 2020, as approved by the Association's Board of Directors. State tax issues. FBA needs to be diligent in this debate to maintain fair and equitable business and personal taxes in California: Continue our leadership role...
FBA Names Senator Nielsen Outstanding Legislator for 2019
The Family Business Association of California, the only organization advocating exclusively for California’s thousands of family businesses, has named Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Tehama, as its Outstanding Legislator for 2019. FBA Executive Director Robert Rivinius said the...
Do Economic Recoveries Die of Old Age?
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. | GraphsandLaughs, LLC The US economy is clearly slowing. After adjusting for inflation, GDP grew by 2.9% in 2018, and by an even better 3.1% in 19Q1.  But growth slowed to just 2% in 19Q2, is expected to grow at a similar pace the rest of...
What will cause the next recession?
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. GraphsandLaughs, LLC September 1, 2019 The Great Recession of 2008 is firmly in the rearview mirror, we are now enjoying the longest recovery in U.S. history, the unemployment rate is near a 50-year low, wage growth is pretty good, inflation is...
Are 1,061 Pages Enough?
By Robert Rivinius, FBA Executive Director When I have a chance to meet with someone in the Legislature or from the Governor's Office, I take them a copy of the Cal-Chamber's 2019 California Labor Law Digest. The book is 8" x 11", 2 1/2" inches thick, and has 1,061...
PAGA Reform Would Help Grow Our Economy
By Ken Monroe Chair, Family Business Assn. of CA and president, Holt of California This op-ed originally appeared in the Orange County Register on July 5, 2019 You can’t watch TV or go online these days without hearing about more and more politicians who are calling...
Modern Monetary Theory Is Voodoo Economics Redux
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. |Â June 1, 2019 There is currently widespread frustration with the performance of the global economy. Traditional policy approaches are not delivering the economic results they have in the past. In the U.S., millennials are poorer, have lower...
More than 70 Members get latest information at Family Business Day
NEW! See photos from Family Business Day. More than 70 FBA Members and guests heard the latest information about developments at the Capitol at last week's Family Business Day and Legislative Conference -- including the hot-off-the-presses news that legislation to...
The Green New Deal is a bad deal
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. | March 1 While advocates of the Green New Deal (GND) suggest it will solve a multitude of problems by combating global warming and creating millions of well-paid jobs, the reality is that the GND is a profoundly expensive plan that takes leave...
FBA sponsors landmark bill that would define a California Family Business
Senate Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, has agreed to carry legislation sponsored by FBA that will provide a definition for family businesses in California. SB 483 will be amended to assist state and local governments in identifying family businesses that meet the...
FBA signs on to letter supporting federal death tax repeal
At a time when more and more progressives are seeking to reinstate higher estate tax levels -- and significantly raise taxes for many family business owners -- FBA is proud to be one of more than 150 associations and trade groups that are backing legislation to fully...
Why Is Wage Growth So Lousy?
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., GraphsandLaughs, LLC While the most recent jobs report showed the unemployment rate at 4.0% — the lowest rate in almost 50 years — it also showed annual wage gains running at just 3.2%. While that is the best rate of growth in over a decade,...