Business Briefs

Santa Clara Valley American Red Cross Chapter Seeks Hero Nominations

The Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is calling on Silicon Valley residents, companies and organizations to nominate their local heroes for the 2007 Real Heroes Breakfast to be held on March 15 at the Fairmont San Jose.

Nominations for Real Heroes can be submitted to the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross for any heroic act that took place between April 1, 2004 and Dec. 31, 2006. Deadline for nominations is Jan. 19, 2007. 

As a community leader in emergency preparedness, prevention and response, the chapter will host a breakfast celebration where more than 500 community members will gather to honor 11 individuals who have taken action in a time of crisis to help others and show extraordinary human compassion.

“We have many heroes among us. Their courage and good deeds are important to the mission of the Red Cross,” said Roger Dickson, interim chief executive officer of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The chapter will honor people who have demonstrated outstanding community service in eleven categories:

• Animal rescue hero. An animal that has protected a human or another animal in a time of need, or a person who has rescued an animal from a traumatic situation.

• Education hero. An adult or youth who used life-saving skills to save or attempt to save the life or lives of others in a school or other educational setting.

• Good samaritan. Adult (between the ages of 21 and 55). An adult who used life-saving skills to save or attempt to save the life or lives of others.

• Good samaritan. Senior (over the age of 55). A senior who used life-saving skills to save or attempt to save the life or lives of others.

• Good samaritan. Youth (under the age of 21). A youth who used life-saving skills to save or attempt to save the life or lives of others.

• Law enforcement hero. A professional law enforcement officer (sheriff, police, FBI, highway patrol, etc.) whose life-saving action went beyond the scope of their job to help another in critical need.

• Medical professional hero. A medical professional (doctors, nurses, EMT/paramedics, hospital/clinic staff, etc.) whose life-saving action went beyond the scope of their job to help another in critical need.

• Military hero. A member of the armed forces (active, reserve, retired, commissioned or non-commissioned) whose life-saving action during active duty status went beyond the scope of their job to help another in critical need.

• Professional rescuer hero. A professional rescuer (firefighter, lifeguard, etc.) whose life-saving action went beyond the scope of their job to help another in critical need.

• Spirit of the Red Cross. An act by an individual(s) that exemplifies the humanitarian mission of the American Red Cross.

• Workplace hero. An individual who used life-saving skills to save or attempt to save the life or lives of others at his or her place of employment or on a job site.

Hero Award recipients will be selected by an objective committee of Silicon Valley community leaders. Heroes are selected based on the degree to which their acts of heroism uphold the values of the American Red Cross and leave a lasting and positive impact on the residents of Silicon Valley. All nominees must work or reside in the Santa Clara County; the heroic acts may have occurred elsewhere. The heroic event must have occurred on or after April 1, 2004. Self-nominations are not permitted and all nominations will be subject to further verification and validation.

Nominations may be submitted online at www.santaclaravalley.redcross.org. A nomination form can also be downloaded from the Web site and mailed to Heroes Breakfast Nominations, Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, 2731 North First St., San Jose, CA 95134 or faxed to (408) 577-2050.

The Red Cross is seeking sponsors for the event. Sponsorship is an important way to support the local disaster relief fund. Sponsors choose their hero category, and meet the hero or the hero’s family at a special reception. Anyone who wishes to attend must contact the Red Cross to receive an invitation. While the breakfast has no set admission fee, guests will be encouraged to donate $1 for every year that the American Red Cross has been operating (125 years). Those wishing to attend or find out more about sponsorship opportunities should call contact Kay Walters at (408) 577-2113.

Business Coalition Opposes Employer-Mandated Health Care

More than 200,000 small businesses urged Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature not to impose an employer mandated health care program.

The California Small Business Health Coalition is calling on decision-makers to fix the state’s broken health care system by first lowering costs and making coverage more affordable.

The coalition is growing quickly as small businesses across the state are concerned about the potential impacts a health care reform proposal could have on their operations, such as being forced to reduce their workforce or pay lower wages.

“Small business wants to be part of the solution to provide health care for the state’s uninsured,” said Betty Jo Toccoli, president of the California Small Business Association and spokesperson for the California Small Business Health Coalition. “We support a plan that promotes individual responsibility and addresses the out-of-control health care costs.”

The coalition will oppose any health care proposals that disproportionately impact the small business community. Retailers, restaurants and any business that operates with higher employee head counts and lower profit margins will inevitably be negatively impacted by the high premium rates that are currently preventing several small businesses from offering coverage.

The group believes the state must address the issue of affordability. Employers cannot provide coverage when the costs continue to rise and quality of coverage declines.

It also argues the state must not place the burden of health care on small businesses by imposing a mandate on employers. The public rejected this approach when they voted down Proposition 72 in 2004. Rather than improving the status of the small business employee, the mandate would have resulted in job losses – a significant consequence that will create even more problems.

The state should focus on expanding access to existing government run programs that are augmented by federal funding. More than 1 million individuals are eligible for health care coverage under Medi-Cal and the Healthy Families Programs, but have not enrolled. The federal government funds 50 percent or more of these program costs and it should be a priority to enroll all eligible individuals.

There should be incentives for businesses to offer various health coverage options for their employees, the coalition says. Small business employees have diverse health care needs. A policy that fits the traditional family of four may be completely unnecessary for the younger “barista” at the coffee shop. Individuals who choose a low-cost plan should be able to capture most of the benefits from such choices otherwise they will have no incentive to economize, the coalition states.

“If you operate a small business in this state you should be prepared to become part of the health care solution, but not if that solution falls completely on the backs of the small employers who will be forced to close down or layoff employees,” said Aubry Stone, president/CEO of the California Black Chamber of Commerce and member of the California Small Business Health Coalition.

Some members of the California Small Business Health Coalition include the American Association of Business Persons With Disabilities, California Black Chamber of Commerce, California Small Business Association, Consumers First, Inc., Small Business Action Committee, Women Construction Owners & Executives, California Restaurant Association, and Los Angeles Metropolitan