Silicon Valley Leadership Group Urges Legislative Action on Health Care, Water Policies in Full-Page Mercury, Bee Ads

For the first time in its 29-year history, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group has taken out full-page ads in the Sacramento Bee and San Jose Mercury News this week urging the state Legislature to enact comprehensive health care reform and a new state water policy before adjourning its current special session that was called by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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"These issues are so critical to the future of California that we could not miss this opportunity to speak out on behalf of our 225 member companies in this way while the Legislature is meeting in special session," said Carl Guardino, President and CEO of the Leadership Group. "We believe now is the time for our state's leaders to act on these important issues in a meaningful way. Full-page ads convey our full commitment to comprehensive reform." More than 20 top Silicon Valley CEOs co-signed the letter.

"Please do not allow our health care policy to deteriorate, our water policy to stagnate or our citizens to wait any longer" for comprehensive reform, the Leadership Group urged in an open letter to the governor and Legislature that appears in today's Sacramento Bee and tomorrow's Mercury News. "We can reaffirm California's place as a state that leads the nation by enacting comprehensive and visionary reform."

The letter cites key principles in both areas for the legislators to consider. In health care, they are: coverage for all Californians, emphasis on wellness, shared responsibility and stabilization of health care costs. In water policy, the principles include conservation, efficiency, fair and cost-efficient storage, reliable conveyance and protection of the Delta.

CEOs who signed the letter included Mike Splinter of Applied Materials (chair of the Leadership Group board), Bill Watkins of Seagate Technology (board vice chair), John Thompson of Symantec, Aart de Geus of Synopsys, Dan Warmenhoven of Network Appliance and Bill Coleman of Cassatt Corporation.