Federal-State Inquiry

Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA 12) and California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer have formed a Federal-State Inquiry into Job Losses and Misdirected Tax Policy to investigate the proposed relocation of VWR International. The Inquiry will hold a public hearing on May 9th from 10:30 a.m. - noon at Brisbane City Hall (50 Park Place, Brisbane). A tentative list of participants is below.

The plan by VWR International to close its distribution center in Brisbane, and relocate to a new warehouse over 300 miles away, in rural Visalia, raises a number of important issues, including environmental impacts of the new facility on the Visalia community, fiscal disruption and employment impacts on the City of Brisbane, the appropriate use of public subsidies from state and local government, and the transparency of public processes that lead to governmental approvals and subsidies. 

Panel

• Congresswoman Jackie Speier
• Treasurer Bill Lockyer
• Councilmember Clarke Conway
• Assemblyman Jerry Hill
• Senator Leland Yee
• Shelley Kessler, CEO, San Mateo County Labor Council
• Freddy Beaman, Brisbane Chamber of Commerce

Witnesses

• Clay Holstine, City Manager
• Julian Gross, Attorney at Law 
       - Taxpayer dollars funding VWR relocation
• Anne Wilson, CEO of United Way of the Bay Area
    What is a sustainable wage for the San Francisco Bay Area and what will the plant closure mean to the families?
• Teamster Chief Stewards, employees of VWR
       - Dave Gaytan
       - John Thomas