Since the 1990s there has been an overall consensus among lawmakers, stakeholders and the business community that California schools are in need of major reform. The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce feels an educated workforce is essential for maintaining a productive economy. Therefore, success in California’s educational system is a high priority for the Chamber. See our Public Policy Guide for more information on this issue.

The United States has the world's best health care system, but coverage is being priced out of reach for more and more American citizens. For five straight years, health insurance premiums have increased by double digits pushing the number of American citizens without coverage to over 45 million. Companies struggle to find health care plans that provide adequate and affordable insurance for their employees.

The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce recognizes that employers currently provide most health care coverage in the United States. The Chamber also recognizes that free market forces provide the best solution in long-term control of both quality and cost of health care, particularly when the consumer is empowered with the responsibility of decision-making. See our Public Policy Guide for more information on this issue.

Every business is faced with challenges. One of the most difficult challenges business face is attracting and retaining employees while, at the same time, maintaining a safe workplace, providing workers' compensation and complying with ever-increasing regulations. Burdensome regulation limits the flexibility of employers and has made California one of the most difficult states in which to do business.

The Chamber recognizes the need to protect workers rights and while protecting the rights of their employers. See our Public Policy Guide for more information on this issue.

Quality infrastructure leads to a good quality of life. In order for a community to maintain a stable economic base and to effectively compete in the marketplace, infrastructure must continuously be improved. The Chamber's main area of focus for a stable and viable infrastructure are: Energy, Housing and Development, Storm Water, Telecommunications, Transportation and Water Supply. See our Public Policy Guide for more information on this issue.

The abuse of our legal system has seen a large growth in recent years, imposing huge costs on business and, eventually, on all of us. Lawsuits are increasingly crafted on the flimsiest of grounds and then brought across the country to be filed in the friendliest courts in an effort to find verdicts. Companies have been unfairly found liable for damages that they could not possibly have foreseen, sometimes for which they are only slightly responsible.


Malpractice lawsuits have pushed medical liability insurance premiums so high that doctors and clinics have to limit or even close their practices, leaving patients without needed care. The courts are clogged with asbestos lawsuits filed by people who show no signs of illness, while claimants who are clearly ill wait for the benefit they need now.

See our Public Policy Guide for more information on this issue.

Taxes are a fact of life. To ensure that Californians are not excessively taxed, we must facilitate retention of existing business and industry, as well as attract new business to California, despite an increasingly competitive environment. This can only be accomplished by providing a business friendly tax environment. See our Public Policy Guide for more information on this issue.