On Tuesday, September 27, the AV Board of Trade’s monthly luncheon will feature Antelope Valley’s dynamic couple – Board of Equalization Member George Runner and State Senator Sharon Runner.

As elected representatives, George and Sharon have made job creation and public safety their top policy priorities. Together, they have pushed to reduce the layers of regulations that burden businesses and have shepherded through legislation to provide incentives for employers to hire people off the unemployment rolls.

This passion is much needed in Sacramento today given recent economic news.

In June, Senate Republicans held firm against tax increases. Knowing the adverse impact sales taxes would have on retail, an important economic indicator, George and Sharon fought privately and publicly to decrease the sales tax back to 2009 levels.

They also faced criticism for refusing to increase the car tax. With unemployment hovering around 12 percent, too many families are still struggling to pay the bills. They cannot afford to pay more to the DMV to simply register their cars.

Always the crusaders for families, George and Sharon wanted residents to keep more of their hard-earned dollars.

During these budget negotiations, Republicans pushed for a more honest and realistic budget that would have explicitly laid out cuts to state programs. Unfortunately, the majority party did not listen.

They chose to pass a budget that misleads the public into thinking that certain programs have been given more state funding, when in reality, that may not prove to be the case. If the state’s cash revenues continue this downward trend, recipients of state programs will have the rug pulled out from under them later this year.

How will these trends impact the state budget? What can lawmakers do to ease the impact of these negative trends? And what is the latest on the “Amazon tax” that has driven thousands of businesses out of California? Attend this month's luncheon to ask our Board of Equalization Member George Runner and State Senator Sharon Runner these questions and more.

The Luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the J.P. Eliopulos Hellenic Center – 43404 – 39th Street West, Lancaster. $20.00 with reservations and $25.00 at the door. For reservations contact the AV Board of Trade office at (661) 942-9581 or by email at