Published: Sunday, Jul. 25, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
Last Modified: Sunday, Jul. 25, 2010 – 1:19 am

With unemployment skyrocketing and the country recovering slowly from a painful recession, job creation is the catch phrase of the 2010 election. Every candidate, it seems, has a program to put people back to work.

California’s gubernatorial candidates, Republican Meg Whitman and Democrat Jerry Brown, each have plans they say will help create jobs. Here’s a look at what each proposes to do. Most proposals would require approval by the Legislature.

– Dan Smith, Bee Capitol Bureau Chief

JERRY BROWN

Brown’s jobs plan to date is focused solely on investing in renewable energy technology with the goal of creating 20,000 megawatts of renewable electricity by 2020. (1 MWh of energy can power 1,000 homes for one hour.) He says the plan would create at least 500,000 new jobs and put California “at the forefront” of the industry.

He has no position on tax cuts and says he would approve a tax increase only if voters signed off. He has said little about reducing the state work force but criticized state government as “constipated and overloaded,” and noted that balancing the budget would require “a lot of cuts.”

Clean energy

• Build 12,000 megawatts of on-site and small energy generation systems – wind and solar – by asking the Public Utilities Commission to create a cost-based fee structure.

• Build 8,000 megawatts of electricity by requiring that 33 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources; state agencies would expedite permitting.

• Create a “California Solar Highway” to place solar panels along state highways.

• Push the California Energy Commission to “fast-track” permits for clean energy projects.

• Support legislation to encourage construction of energy storage systems to help meet peak power demand.

• Establish a plan to make new homes and commercial buildings “zero net energy,” using no more power than on-site units generate.

• Encourage retrofitting of energy systems in existing buildings by offering loan programs for upgrades and by requiring sellers to disclose the energy efficiency of a building.

• Encourage the energy commission to adopt stronger rules for appliance efficiency.

• Provide incentives to promote cogeneration projects.

• Appoint a “renewable energy job czar” to carry out the plans.

• Supports full implementation of AB 32.

MEG WHITMAN

Whitman’s plan has two main components: targeted tax cuts she says would spur job-creating economic activity – despite the loss of billions in tax revenues – and loosening state regulation of business.

She has ruled out tax increases and advocates a 40,000-job reduction in the state work force through attrition. She has advocated a go-slow approach on public works bonds to create jobs, suggesting that the state pay down its current bond debt before approving new borrowing.

Tax cuts

• Eliminate state capital gains tax.

• Eliminate the $800 fee for limited liability corporations.

• Increase the research and development tax credit from 15 percent to 20 percent.

• Eliminate the tax on manufacturing equipment.

• Provide hiring and research tax credits for businesses that locate in “opportunity zones” near universities.

• Provide $10,000 tax credit to buyers of new and existing homes.

• Accelerate depreciation for manufacturing and technology equipment.

• Provide hiring tax credits for “green tech” jobs.

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