The California Rental Association (CRA) launched its new website on June 15th, 2018. CRA has switched over to Naylor Association Management Software (AMS), which not only enhances the administrative aspect of our association but also includes a brand-new user friendly CRA website! Check it out and then post to our Facebook account with your thoughts.

Meridan Pacific Sales hosted a joint CRA/ARA of CA meeting Thursday, May 24, 2018, at their main location in Sacramento, CA. The function was well attended and enjoyed by over 80 rental folks. The evening included equipment displays by several CRA and ARA members. Tom Hughes from Hometown Rentals, the ARA Region 9 Director, made several announcements. Tom spoke about upcoming functions, including the THE RENTAL SHOW, which will be held in Anaheim, Feb. 17-20, 2019. An announcement was also made about the "ARA Shoot," an event to be held at the Coyote Valley Sporting Clays facility in Morgan Hill. The shoot will be followed by a bar-b-que dinner at the A Tool Shed location, also in Morgan Hill. Tom announced his two replacement candidates for Region 9: CRA members Tony Murray from American Rentals and Tony Wright from Celebrations Party Rentals. Tom also introduced long-time CRA member Robert Pedersen from A Tool Shed, who has been nominated to run for the position of President of the ARA. All ARA members are encouraged to watch for their ballots—which will be sent electronically—and vote for our California representatives.

Nearly a century after hundreds of workers died while tunneling through a West Virginia mountain, the federal government issued a rule that punishes construction companies that don’t adequately protect employees against silicosis. Some people think regulation is long overdue; others are insulted by the implication that they don’t know how, or won’t take care of their employees’ health. However, the primary reaction of contractors to the respirable crystalline silica (RCS) standard, which the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) began enforcing on Sept. 23, 2017, is confusion.

1. Support a workplace where there is trust and mutual respect. Injured workers may lack motivation to get better if they don’t want to go back to a workplace environment they feel is unfriendly, unwelcoming or distrustful.

2. Inform employees of the injury reporting process. The process should be part of the employee rules of conduct and provide clear step-by-step rules to follow in the event of an injury. Employees also need to know where to find easily accessible information about how to fill out a claim form, benefits available and the importance of rehabilitation and returning to work. Click on "Learn More" for all eight steps.

Since 1999 Justin Beckman has been involved in all facets of events. Starting as a stagehand in Denver, Justin then migrated into the event rental world during college. After college, he moved back to South Dakota to start Beckman Events and Tent Rental in 2004 where he was introduced to several Los Angeles based event production companies. With those introductions, combined with his Midwest work ethic, Justin was well on his way. While working with Event 11, The Visionary Group, Pen and Public, ZHP Productions, Allied Audio and Productions and most recently Best Events, Justin has helped produce many large-scale and one-of-a-kind events utilizing Losberger De Boer products including: ESPN, Samsung, Microsoft, Google, Netflix, Vevo, Hulu, Tesla and many more across North America.

In the June 2018 update of its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts Brent crude oil prices will average $71 per barrel (b) in 2018 and $68/b in 2019. The new 2019 forecast price is $2/b higher than in the May STEO. The increase reflects global oil markets balances that EIA expects to be tighter than previously forecast because of lowered expected production growth from both the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the United States. Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $77/b in May, an increase of $5/b from April and the highest monthly average price since November 2014. EIA expects West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices will average almost $7/b lower than Brent prices in 2018 and $6/b lower than Brent prices in 2019.

As of the June 1 deadline for bills to pass the house in which they were introduced, five California Chamber of Commerce-supported job creator bills remain alive for further consideration. Four job creators won approval last week by the Assembly or Senate.

A wage statement penalty bill opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce as a job killer was stopped in the Assembly last week. June 1 was the deadline for bills to pass the house in which they were introduced. Only five job killer bills subject to the first house deadline have passed to the second house.

Robert Gutierrez, Director of the California Tax Foundation, commented on the 40th anniversary of Proposition 13 in a recent article on foxandhoundsdaily:
June 6 marked the 40th anniversary of voters’ approval of California’s landmark property tax protections. The passage of Proposition 13 was born out of a need for fairness, as runaway inflation, corrupt assessment practices, taxation based on government guesswork, and appraisals that could be influenced by revenue needs caused people to lose confidence in the property tax system. To make matters worse, this crisis grew for more than a decade while elected officials failed to take decisive action to protect taxpayers. Proposition 13 solved this crisis, and in doing so made the property tax a more stable and predictable source of revenue. Proposition 13 improved the state’s business climate and job creation. Business owners now can plan their budgets with more certainty, and the tax savings can be invested in expansion and employees. (Unfortunately, subsequent increases in other taxes, fees and onerous regulations have taken their toll on California employers, and ongoing attempts to repeal Proposition 13’s protections for business properties threaten to completely torpedo our state’s competitiveness.)

Terrence Murphy, President and CEO of the Hammond Group, recently discussed lead batteries as an environmentally sustainable solution for clean energy on foxandhoundsdaily:
Environmental regulatory systems are inherently complex. Policies and agencies often find themselves at odds with each other, as they try to implement their own charters. This is certainly the case in the energy area, and particularly with battery power. Here’s the problem. While climate programs are promoting battery power, other groups have targeted lead batteries as a product that needs to be further regulated, if that is possible, or even eliminated. Such an initiative is hugely misplaced. Lead batteries are the most recycled consumer product on the market, exceeding 99%. All the dispersive uses of lead have long ceased; no one wants it released into the environment. So, it is both unnecessary and counterproductive to attack and potentially ban lead batteries. In fact, it would be unscientific and illogical to attempt to prevent lead from its true and environmentally friendly destiny of helping to reduce our carbon footprint.

Thank you to all those who take time to participate in our surveys. CRA utilizes the information we gather to better serve you. If you have an idea for a survey for CRA members, please send your request to CRA at Info@CalRental.org. This month, we surveyed members about their business services.

Paul Hawthorne from Toolshed Equipment Rentals in Escondido, CA is the winner of the June Survey Raffle. Congratulations, Paul!