MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT
Volume 15, Issue 46
2585854
Monroe Chamber
of Commerce
Weekly Report
Last week, the Monroe Chamber and Pecanland Mall cut the ribbon on the new
Pink Store. Victoria’s Secret recently moved to a new larger location and
opened the new Pink store at the same time.
TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER
MONROE CHAMBER ACCEPTS NOMINATIONS FOR 2015 RAMBINSILVERSTEIN AWARD
The Monroe Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 2015
Rambin-Silverstein Award, which is presented annually to a resident of Northeast
Louisiana who has displayed outstanding leadership and service to the community.
The nominee does not have to be a member of the chamber.
Any resident of Northeast Louisiana who has demonstrated achievement,
leadership and service for the benefit of the greater community is eligible for
nomination.
The final selection is based on the person’s contributions to the community over
many years of service, evidence of their leadership ability, and evidence of their
personal, professional and business integrity. The candidate must have a record of
exceptional volunteerism and have demonstrated unselfish dedication to the
betterment of Ouachita Parish and Northeast Louisiana.
Nomination forms are available at the chamber office at 212 Walnut Street, Suite
100 or by calling 323-3461. All nominations must be received no later than
Wednesday, December 30, 2015.
November 16, 2015
CALENDAR
Monday, November 16 at 5:30 p.m.-The
Ouachita parish Police Jury will meet at the
Ouachita Parish Courthouse.
Tuesday, November 17 at 2:30 p.m.-Ribbon
Cutting for the new Girl Scout office. The new
location is 1830 Tower Drive in Monroe.
Wednesday, November 18 at 12 noon-The
Northeast Louisiana Young Professionals will
meet at The Palace in downtown Monroe. Shelia
Snow with the Monroe-West Monroe CVB will
highlight Christmas on the River. Cost to attend is
$15 per person. Call Daphne McClish at 8074018 for more information.
Thursday, November 19 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30
p.m.-Ouachita 101 will be held at CenturyLink
for employees new to the area. For more
information, please call 323-3461.
Saturday, November 21-Louisiana
Gubernatorial General Election-VOTE!
Friday, November 27-Chamber office closed for
Thanksgiving Holiday!
Tuesday, December 1 at 10:00 a.m.-Ribbon
Cutting for the new Airport Rescue Fire Fighting
Station. The ARFF is located next to the Monroe
Regional Airport.
Tuesday, December 1 at 4:00 p.m. – Century 21
United Ribbon Cutting & Open House. The
business is located at 3300 Forsythe Avenue.
Wednesday, December 2 at 12 noon-The
Greater Ouachita Port Commission will meet at
the Monroe Chamber office.
SAVE THE DATE! Thursday,
December 3-Monroe Chamber Holiday
Gala and Auction!
MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT
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MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT | Volume 15, Issue 46
Thirty Bottles of Wine for $25?
Enjoy wine? Than take a chance on winning thirty bottles of wine by buying a $25 raffle ticket.
You can keep them or have thirty holiday gifts to give to your friends, family or colleagues.
Each year members of the Monroe Chamber Board of Directors donate a $35 bottle of wine. In
the past, the thirty bottles have been placed in our annual auction. This year, the auction
committee decided to sell raffle tickets rather than placing the wine in the auction.
Only 80 tickets are available and you do not have
to be present to win.
According to Cindy Rogers, Raffle Ticket Chairman
and Auction Committee member, the tickets are
going fast. Tickets went on sale last week and she
has already sold 20 tickets. With just 60 left, don’t
wait until the evening of the event to get your ticket.
Please call the Monroe Chamber at 323-3461 and
purchase your ticket now.
MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT | Volume 15, Issue 46
New Federal Budget Deal Means Higher OSHA Penalties
November 1, 2015 – With the stroke of a pen, President Barack Obama will sign into law on Monday (11/01/15) the Bipartisan Budget
Act of 2015. This means no more squabbling for the next two years about shutting down the government by threatening to withhold
passage of the federal budget. Additionally, the White House claims this bill, which increases government spending and debt limits, will
stimulate the nation’s economy. But nothing comes for free; passage of this Act also means your OSHA penalties will be going up –
significantly!
Many people mistakenly believe that employers pay monetary penalties attached to federal OSHA citations directly to OSHA, making
them a self-funded agency. But that is not true. The monies actually go into the general fund, that big black hole that sucks in tax dollars
to run our country and pay interest on the national debt. That is why the checks for OSHA penalties are made out to the United States
Treasury, and not to OSHA.
The maximum monetary penalties OSHA can levy for citations of their standards are set by Congress, and those limits have not changed
since 1990. The maximum penalty allowed for an “Other than Serious” citation or “Serious” citation is currently capped at a $7,000
penalty, and the penalty for a “Willful” citation cannot exceed $70,000.
However, a passage buried deep inside the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 changes these by allowing adjustments for inflation on certain
civil penalties; specifically, OSHA penalties. And this is not just a year-to-year adjustment; it also includes one big “catch-up” adjustment
that goes all the way back to 1996! Read the applicable section of the Act below:
Sec. 701. Civil monetary penalty inflation adjustments.
Section 701(a) establishes the short title for this section as the “Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of
2015.” Section 701(b) amends the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 (28 U.S.C. 2461 note) to:
1. Require all agencies with civil monetary penalties covered by the statute to update penalties based on
their value in the last update prior to 1996 and the change in the CPI between that date and
October 2015. The increase in penalties that results from this “catch up” calculationwould be capped
at 150% (so a penalty now set at $10,000 could not increase to more than $25,000).
2. Require all agencies to adjust their civil monetary penalties annually based on changes in the CPI, using data from October of each
year.
3. Replace current rounding rules with a simple rule that penalties be rounded to the nearest dollar.
4. Apply these provisions to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and civil penalties assessed under the Social Security Act.
According to the “CPI Inflation Calculator” provided on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website, the maximum allowable penalties for
OSHA citations starting next year (2016) will look roughly like this after the initial “catch-up” adjustments are made:
o
o
o
Other Than Serious (was $7,000) – maximum is now $10,616
Serious (was $7,000) – maximum is now $10,616
Willful (was $70,000) – maximum is now $106,158
And these penalty caps will presumably go up even further each year afterwards, based on any increase in the Consumer Price Index
(CPI) from the previous year.
Technically, higher penalty caps do not necessarily mean higher penalties across the board, because the Act only addresses higher
maximum penalty levels; not minimum. But OSHA has been aggressively pushing Congress for years to allow higher maximum penalties
to accompany their citations, claiming that the threat of stiffer penalties would give them a bigger stick that will drive employers towards
greater compliance with federal safety and health standards. So I would expect to see OSHA take full advantage of these increased
maximum penalty levels.
But here is the interesting part; our President and Congress are NOT counting on this increase in penalty caps resulting in safer
workplaces. They are instead counting on employers continuing to receive the same number of OSHA citations, but with these higher
penalties attached, so they can raise some of the billions of extra dollars they need to support their uncontrollable spending habits. And
what about the supposed economic benefits created by passage of this new Act? I suppose it will help my “personal economy”, because
a more “motivated” employer will be more apt to utilize my OSHA compliance services!
Do you really believe these higher penalty caps for OSHA will stimulate employers to “be safer”? Will it make the nation’s economy
stronger?? Are you surprised that the burden to help pay for our government’s ever-increasing spending in this new budget falls squarely
on the shoulders of businesses through higher monetary penalties???
MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT | Volume 15, Issue 46
MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT | Volume 15, Issue 46
Last week the Monroe Chamber and Pecanland Mall cut the ribbon for
Victoria’s Secret and Pink. The business moved to a new location in
Pecanland Mall and added the Pink store to the new location.
Last week the Monroe Chamber and the City of Monroe cut the ribbon for
St. Francis Pediatrics in partnership with Our Lady of the Lake Children’s
Hospital. St. Francis Pediatrics was recently renovated.
Ouachita Business Alliance Encourages Every
Business to Take the Pledge!
Cleaning up every corner of Ouachita Parish is a priority of the
Ouachita Business Alliance. Much is being done by the group to
improve the appearance and cleanliness of our community. An
attractive community is a more enjoyable place to live, work and
raise a family. It also makes it much easier to recruit new
businesses and residents to Ouachita Parish. Take the pledge and
you’re your customers know you care.
Ouachita Parish Business Pledge
As a person owning or operating a place of business within
Ouachita Parish I pledge to keep my business premises,
including sidewalks, service alleys, parking areas, and
areas adjacent to receptacles free from garbage, litter, and
trash.
I pledge to help transform our community to reflect its
status as home to a Fortune 500 Business.
Name ________________________________
Date
__________________________________
This is my community and I am proud to
take the pledge!
MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT | Volume 15, Issue 46
APPLY NOW FOR 2016 LEADERSHIP OUACHITA
The Monroe Chamber is currently taking applications for the 2016 Leadership Ouachita
class. Nominations are encouraged from all segments of the community. Individuals may apply or
nominate those they feel best exemplify the philosophy of Leadership Ouachita. The application deadline
for the 2016 class is Friday, January 8, 2016. Applications may be picked up at the Monroe Chamber of
Commerce or interested parties may call Chamber Events Director, Daphne McClish at 807-4018 or
[email protected] for more information.
The purpose of Leadership Ouachita is to develop and empower the emerging leaders of northeast
Louisiana and help them gain the skills they need to transform the region into the best place to live and
do business. Class members engage in a series of sessions focused on education, health care, workforce
development, infrastructure and government.
The program also provides insight on public decision making, practical and in-depth discussions on
public issues pertinent to Ouachita Parish, an expanded knowledge and understanding of the community
in which we live, and the opportunity to develop lasting relationships with growing and established
leaders in a neutral environment. The class opening retreat is scheduled for Thursday and Friday,
February 18 and 19, 2016.
MONROE CHAMBER WEEKLY REPORT | Volume 15, Issue 46
MONROE CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
212 Walnut Street, Suite 100
Monroe, LA 71201
PHONE: (318) 323-3461
FAX: (318) 812-7594
E-MAIL:
[email protected]
Website: www.monroe.org
THE MONROE CHAMBER’S MISSION
IS TO LEAD IN THE CREATION
OF AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH
OUR BUSINESSES THRIVE.