2010 Primary Elections - Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana all have May Primaries in 2010

For personalized voter informationfor all employees, please click here for more infomation.

The Ohio Primary election will be held Tuesday, May 4, 2010.

Information on the Ohio election from the Ohio Prosperity Project can be found here, or from the Cincinnati Enquirer here.

Early voting has already begun, absentee ballot information can be found here. 

Also of note for Ohio voters. P&G is supporting Ohio Issue 1, the Third Frontier Campaign, with a monetary donation of $80,000. For more information on Issue 1, click here.  

The Kentucky Primary Election  will be held Tuesday, May 18, 2010.

Early voting has already begun, absentee ballot information can be found here. 

Information on the Kentucky election from the Cincinnati Enquirer can be found here.  

The Indiana Primary Election  will also be held Tuesday, May 4, 2010.

Early voting has already begun, absentee ballot information can be found here, downloadable form here.

2010 Census

The Census is used to help communities receive more than $400 billion in federal funds for hospitals, job training and schools to bridges, tunnels and emergency services.  The Census data is used to assess the need for social services, block grants and other programs vital to many communities.  It also determines the appropriate number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

As good corporate citizens, we are encouraging everyone to completely and accurately fill out their Census forms.

During mid-March 2010 census questionnaires will be mailed to residents, and made available in other public places. We are encouraging residents to return their census forms by or before April 1^st (National Census Day). If the census form is not received by mid-April, a Census Bureau employee will visit non-responsive households to obtain information in person between May 2010 and July 2010. After that time, anyone who did not participate in this year’s census will have to wait another 10 years before they can be counted.

Personal data requested in the Census is protected by federal law.   The Census Bureau cannot disclose an individual’s answers to anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.

 Links: 

http://census.gov 

There are six languages used in the questionnaire (English, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese) which covers about 97.8 percent of the population.  Additionally there will be 59 different language assistance guides available on the Census website.

http://www.youtube.com/USCensusBureau 

http://www.cincinnaticounts.org/ 

http://census.ohio.gov/OhioHardToCountSubCommittee.aspx

For a Census themed laugh click here to see how Christopher Walken answers.

2009 Elections

Ohio

Because there are many issues facing Ohio voters, the information on the Ohio Elections Issues page is intended to help you to be aware of the issues you will decide when you cast your ballot.  In some cases the issues have an impact on P&G’s business interests and may therefore impact you as an employee and shareholder.  When there is an impact on P&G, the information provided is simply intended to advise you of the Company’s position in case you would like to consider that as you make your own decision. 

For more information on Ohio and Cincinnati area elections, please click here. 

Virginia and New Jersey

Virginia and New Jersey have gubernatorial and state elections this November. For more information on these elections click here. 

Is there an election that affects a P&G site near you and you would like information about it posted on PGVotes? Please visit the contact us page and let us know.  

A.G. Lafley's Op-Ed about deferral 

Proposal aimed at saving jobs could have opposite effect

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090327/EDIT02/90327011/1019/EDIT

It’s hard to imagine in today’s economy – at a time when investment and job opportunities in America are needed more than ever – that our own government is considering institutionalizing a 15 percent to 20 percent cost and cash flow penalty for U.S. multinational companies versus our foreign competitors.

As unbelievable as it sounds, it is a scenario that many American companies, like P&G, could face if elements of President Barack Obama’s budget outline are adopted. At issue is a proposal to increase taxes on U.S. companies that are competing for business in international markets. Together, these companies – along with their business partners like suppliers and retailers – provide millions of American jobs that depend on our ability to compete in the global economy.

Today, American companies can defer payment of U.S. taxes on foreign income until those funds are brought back into the U.S. This is similar to our personal IRA investments, where we defer paying taxes on earnings until we withdraw them. Industrialized countries around the world apply a similar principle to help maintain a level playing field.

The Obama administration budget suggests repealing or severely limiting this widely accepted practice in order to raise more corporate tax revenue. This single measure would have a dramatic, negative impact on the net income of American companies like P&G, and put us at a substantial disadvantage to our foreign competitors like L’Oreal, Unilever, Nestle and Kao. It would be like penalizing a winning U.S. Olympic runner by tacking on extra seconds to his time just because he’s American, and causing him to lose the race to his competitors from other countries.

Over 10 years, this Obama budget proposal would cost U.S. multinational companies as much as $210 billion. This is $210 billion our foreign competitors would not have to pay, and it’s $210 billion less to be invested by American companies in research and development, infrastructure and jobs.

Here’s why. Global demand for American products creates investments and jobs here at home. Roughly 40 percent of P&G jobs in Ohio are connected to our global operations. And these are high-paying jobs, in areas like product formulation, engineering, design, packaging, and broad marketing and sales support. In addition, our global growth provides us with higher earnings, which allows us to invest more here in America. This year, for example, we’re investing $1 billion in capital in the U.S., including the construction of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Utah that will initially produce 300 new jobs and provide as many as 1,000 jobs for our suppliers and contractors building the facility.

At P&G, we support efforts by the Obama administration and Congress to promote job growth, improve infrastructure and invest in innovation. And we take our responsibility as an American corporate citizen seriously. We dutifully pay among the highest corporate tax rates in the world as a U.S.-based company.

We also understand the need to produce new revenue to help pay for economic stimulus plans designed to produce or preserve jobs. But if the budget proposal to eliminate tax “deferral” is adopted, it would have the opposite effect. It would create an uneven playing field and give our foreign competitors an unfair advantage. Foreign-based competitors would be able to reinvest more, expand faster and sell their products at lower prices than U.S. companies.

Over time, American multinational companies would be unable to effectively compete against foreign corporations. This would lead to reduced employment and lower wages for American workers, reduced corporate investments, and higher prices for American consumers because increased tax costs are passed through to them.

As the president’s budget proposal moves forward, I hope all citizens will take time to understand the unintended consequences of a proposal that may sound good on the surface, but could undermine American companies, workers and consumers.

A.G. Lafley is chairman of the board and CEO of Procter & Gamble.

To learn more about deferral, please visit PGVotes' Corporate Tax Page, view the pdf below entitled, 'Deferral Helps American Workers Win' by the Business Roundtable, or visit the website for The PACE Coalition. 

PGVotes' Corporate Tax Page 

http://www.bipac.net/pgvotes/BRT_deferral.pdf

www.pace4jobs.org 

 

Health Care Reform: Engaging for a Competitive Tomorrow

Fellow P&Gers:

Improving our nation’s health care system is expected to be one of the top priorities for the new President and new 111th Congress. This is an opportunity to tackle soaring costs and current health care shortcomings with broad reform. That reform could take many different directions, ranging from an essentially government-run system to more modest expansions of current public programs.  Many of these proposals could affect P&G employees and determine how P&G provides health care coverage. It is possible that some of the reforms may limit the Company’s flexibility in offering health care coverage options. P&G supports reform that improves health and reduces costs while ensuring companies remain an integral part of employee health care coverage.

As the primary source of health insurance coverage for more than 177 million Americans, employer-based health care coverage should not be diminished. P&G is proud to offer flexible insurance options with relatively low cost-sharing to our employees.  However, our ability to keep health insurance affordable becomes more challenging each year in the face of increasing cost pressures such as:

1. A large number of uninsured Americans affect employer-based health care coverage by increasing premium costs.  Today, hospital health care costs for the uninsured add $922 on average in annual premium costs* for those with employer-sponsored coverage. Ensuring all Americans have access to at least basic health care insurance means more use of primary and preventive care – a better use of our health care system.  In addition, the cost of health care is spread more equally, not just placed on those who have coverage today.
2. An increasing prevalence of chronic conditions - such as congestive heart failure, coronary arterial disease and diabetes - account for more than 70 percent of health care costs paid by employers and their employees in the U.S.  Improving and promoting access to health care professionals for assistance in managing health and wellness programs could potentially save billions of health care dollars and improve health.
3. Our nation’s health care system could benefit greatly by adopting information technology and clearly defined measures for improving effectiveness in treating patients as well as efficiency in managing health care costs.

Ultimately, these factors increase the cost of health care to companies and their employees without improving health. They also reduce the competitiveness of companies – including P&G - and the U.S. in a global economy. Our view is that health care reform needs to protect employer-based health care coverage, which works well, while helping tackle these challenges.

In the coming months as health care reform plans are introduced and discussed, P&G will remain Engaged for a Competitive Tomorrow on this important issue.  Thanks for visiting www.pgvotes.com for additional information about this and P&G’s other critical issues or to offer comments via the Contact Us button. 

Thank you,

Moheet Nagrath

Global Human Resources Officer

October 28, 2008

* Source: Families USA. Paying a Premium:  The Added Costs of Care for the Uninsured, June 2005.

Link to P&G's Health Care Principles

Chemicals Regulation: Engaging for a Competitive Tomorrow

Fellow P&Gers:

Across the country, there are increasing efforts to influence the use of chemicals in consumer products under the guise of product safety.  Unreasonable bans or limitations on chemicals safely used in our products today could have a significant affect on our ability to innovate and provide safe products of superior quality, performance and value.  While P&G supports an effective regulatory framework based on science, we oppose new regulations and restrictions on specific ingredients, many at the state and local levels, that would create a patchwork of different requirements within the U.S.

Our commitment to product quality and safety is absolute.  P&G uses chemistry-based innovations to provide a wide variety of benefits to society – improving the quality of life through better hygiene, nutrition, health, and well-being.  Ensuring the safety of these innovations is something that consumers expect and something we consider as essential for conducting responsible business and building and maintaining public trust in our products and brands. 

Consistent with our policies and practices, P&G believes that effective chemical policy needs to ensure that ingredients used in consumer products are safe for people and the environment.  Next year, as the new Administration, Congress and State legislatures consider changes to chemical policy and regulations, P&G believes the following elements are important:

• The use of scientific risk assessments that incorporate an understanding of both a chemical’s toxicity and consumer exposure.  Today, some regulations under consideration restrict a chemical’s use if any level of exposure could create an adverse effect, even if the consumer’s exposure is a thousand or tens of thousands of times below the level that causes an effect.  Such unnecessarily conservative approaches to product safety can limit innovation without any real benefit to safety.
• One set of uniform regulations at the federal level, when needed. A state-by-state patchwork of different regulations will unnecessarily complicate public safety and interstate trade. For example, in 2008 alone, there were over 100 bills affecting the use of chemicals in consumer products introduced in state legislatures. The passage of those regulations could require manufacturers to create different product formulas to serve different customers in different states. That patchwork of state and local regulations would add complexity and cost for our customers, who would have to distribute different products to their stores in different states, as well as adding complexity and cost for P&G and consumers. 
• Communications that provide meaningful and relevant information to consumers and the public. The communications should enable consumers to make knowledgeable decisions about the products they use and have trust in their safety. 

P&G will remain engaged on this important issue and we will alert employees of specific legislation that could adversely affect our business without delivering consumer benefit. For now, please understand this and the Company’s other top public policy issues that could impact our future competitiveness and prosperity by visiting www.pgvotes.com.

Thank you.

Bruce Brown

Chief Technology Officer

October 13, 2008

Innovation: Engaging for a Competitive Tomorrow

Fellow P&Gers:

Innovation is our lifeblood and is fundamental to growing our business and delivering products that delight consumers.  To foster innovation in the U.S. and help keep this country competitive, we need policies and funding to strengthen scientific education and training, channel more investment in basic research, and advance a science-based regulatory framework that advances development of the next generation of cutting-edge technologies.  P&G supports policies that promote these goals.

A step in the right direction was the 2007 passage of “The America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act” (America COMPETES).  This legislation provides a comprehensive strategy to advance America’s innovation leadership by strengthening our scientific education and research, improving our technological enterprise, attracting the world's best and brightest workers, and providing 21st century job training.  Former P&G Board member Norm Augustine and recently retired P&G Chief Technology Officer, Gil Cloyd, helped shape this legislation and P&G strongly supports it.

P&G, along with other corporate and academic innovation leaders, continues to work to ensure full funding and implementation of the America COMPETES Act.  We believe that Congress has more work to fulfill the promise of this Act to advance U.S. competitiveness and enable innovation leaders like P&G to grow.  The key components include:

• Increasing investments in basic research, particularly in the physical sciences and engineering. Today, the U.S. substantially lags the world’s fastest growing economies in R&D investment. Additionally, federal money invested in both physical sciences and engineering research has been flat for two decades when adjusted for inflation. Investments will create new industries, business categories, and new products that impact our daily lives. They also will foster a science-based regulatory environment that allows for the development of the next generation of cutting edge technologies like nanotechnology.
• Increasing our ability to attract and retain the best and brightest high-skilled workers from around the world.  This includes streamlining opportunities for education-related visas while still supporting national security priorities.
• Authorizing the Adjunct Teacher Corps Program.  This initiative would bring 30,000 math and science professionals to teach in our Nation's classrooms over the next eight years. 

P&G will remain Engaged for a Competitive Tomorrow and keep you informed of ways you can help. Today, P&Gers can visit www.pgvotes.com for additional information or to leave a comment about this and the other critical issues that will impact the future competitiveness and prosperity of P&G.

Thank you.

A.G. Lafley

Chief Executive Officer

October 6, 2008 

Corporate Tax Policy: Engaging for a Competitive Tomorrow

Fellow P&Gers:

Today P&G pays foreign taxes at about the same rate as competitors outside the U.S.  However, some policymakers are advocating changes to corporate tax policy that would have a dramatic, negative impact on the Company’s net income and cash flow.  In addition, such changes would provide foreign competitors with significant advantages in the U.S. and globally. P&G opposes these measures.

As background, U.S. tax policy relies on the principle that taxpayers don’t pay tax on their investment earnings until paid as dividends or interest.  Likewise earnings on personal accounts like IRAs are tax deferred.  This same deferral principle has always applied to the taxation of foreign earnings of American businesses operating in foreign markets.  Today, U.S. companies pay U.S. taxes on foreign income only when it’s brought back into the U.S. as a dividend.  Every industrialized country applies this deferral principle to maintain a level playing field and to avoid double taxation.  This principle enables P&G to pay taxes at about the same rate as our foreign competitors today. 

There is currently a proposal being debated in Washington and on the campaign trail to repeal or severely limit this longstanding deferral policy to raise additional income tax in the U.S.  The U.S. already has the second highest corporate tax rate among the thirty major industrial economies. This measure would further impair U.S. competitiveness.

The proponents of repealing deferral want our tax laws to encourage American businesses to “make it here and not ship jobs overseas.”  This is false logic. American businesses seeking to compete in the global economy are not choosing to invest either in America or outside the country.  The decision to invest is not a decision to invest “here or there.”  Rather, today’s global markets offer opportunities to serve customers and consumers both “here and there.”  P&G continues to invest in America, while we grow our business in foreign markets as well.

P&G’s value to shareholders, and the opportunity for growth for employees, depends to a great extent on the success of foreign investment.  Nearly 70% of the company’s growth over the past ten years has come from outside the United States.  It is important for P&G employees to understand this issue because eliminating the current foreign income tax policy will have a dramatic and structurally negative effect on P&G’s net income and cash flow, providing our foreign competitors a significant competitive advantage.  This tax change would not apply to our foreign competitors such as Unilever, L’Oreal and Kao. With a significant tax benefit, foreign competitors have the ability to invest more in innovation and support for their businesses and brands, creating an even deeper competitive disadvantage for us.

Isolating American businesses from an international tax policy applied throughout the world creates a competitive disadvantage for U.S. companies and the jobs they provide. P&G supports a corporate tax policy that provides a level playing field with our foreign competitors in markets here in the U.S. and abroad. 

It is important to understand P&G’s public policy focus issues along with those that affect your family and community. We will continue to watch for developments and provide updates to keep you informed. You play a role in our country’s future and your voice is an important one on Election Day. To leave a comment please visit the Contact Us page on www.pgvotes.com.

Thank you.

Clayt Daley

Chief Financial Officer

September 22, 2008

Trade and the Global Economy: Engaging for a Competitive Tomorrow

Fellow P&Gers:

As shareholders, every P&G employee benefits from the Company’s worldwide growth.  Particularly for our 40,000 U.S.-based employees, one in five of whom depends upon our international business, working with the world through global trade is critically important.  For the next U.S. President and new 111^th Congress, trade policy will be among the top challenges they must tackle. Unfortunately, the U.S. trade agenda has stalled and there are concerns that progress over the past several decades, in which U.S. leadership has been essential to the dramatic rise in trade and development, could be reversed.  This would hurt P&G growth and investment opportunities. P&G supports an open trade policy and the advancement of key trade agreements.

International competition is here to stay. No longer can countries or companies focus solely on the domestic landscape. For P&G alone, over 60 percent of our sales are outside the U.S.  Future growth opportunities require that U.S. companies and employees think and operate globally.

Governments, through economic policies they set forth, can promote a predictable, transparent, fair set of rules for commerce, help develop a skilled, healthy workforce, work to protect the environment and create and support modern, efficient networks for communication and transportation.  Additionally, the freedom to truly work with the world allows us to leverage our global brands and our global scale to touch and improve the lives of the world’s consumers.  Limiting this freedom deprives consumers of the opportunity to benefit from our products, stifles innovation and fuels illicit trade that can harm consumers, brand owners, retailers and governments. 

We need our elected leaders to support policies of openness to international trade and investment so we have opportunities for our employees and can reach more of the world’s consumers, deliver superior value, and leverage ideas and innovations inside and outside the U.S.  As the first order of business, Congress should ratify pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea and restore the President’s authority to negotiate new trade agreements.

For P&G to remain successful, we must work with the world. We will do so by understanding the world’s cultures, markets and consumers, and reflecting the world’s diversity in our employees and operations. We need U.S. government trade policies that support this.

It is important to understand our Company’s public policy focus issues along with those that affect your family and community particularly as Election Day affords us an opportunity to play a role in our country’s future. For further information regarding P&G’s public policy focus areas or to offer comments in the Contact Us section, please add www.pgvotes.com to your list of 2008 election resources.    

Thank you.

Bob McDonald

Chief Operating Officer

September 15, 2008

Welcome to P&G’s Government Relations website!

The 2008 elections will shape the environment in which P&G operates for many years to come.  A new President and the 111th Congress will face daunting challenges, including a number of critical issues that will impact the future competitiveness and prosperity of the U.S. and the global economy as well as companies like P&G.

I am writing to encourage all P&Gers in the U.S. to understand these issues that impact our business and to engage in the political process by learning about the candidates’ positions and exercising your responsibility to vote.

The issues of greatest importance to P&G’s business on the 2009 agenda and beyond include:  corporate tax policy; trade and the global economy; health care reform; innovation; and chemicals regulation.  Government policy regarding these issues could significantly affect P&G’s freedom to innovate and operate, to remain competitive and win in the global economy, and it could significantly impact each of us as employees and shareholders.

• Corporate Tax Policy:  P&G pays foreign taxes at about the same rate as competitors outside the U.S., but some policymakers are advocating changes to corporate tax policy that would have a dramatic and negative impact on the Company’s net income and cash flow – providing foreign competitors with significant advantages in the U.S. and globally.
• Trade and the Global Economy:  Markets outside the U.S. are engines of growth for P&G but are also critical to the U.S.’s overall economic growth. We need U.S. policies that promote a robust and increasingly open global system. It matters to P&G’s business and also to the one in five U.S.-based P&G jobs that depend on our global business.
• Health Care Reform:  New policies could go in many different directions. Many of these proposals could affect P&G employees and how the company currently provides coverage.  Other proposals would limit our flexibility in managing costs and offering coverage options.
• Innovation:  This is our lifeblood and is fundamental to growing our business and delivering products that meet consumers’ wants and needs. To foster innovation, we need to strengthen education and training to attract and build the best and brightest work force and invest more in basic research, particularly in the physical sciences and engineering.  Also important is a sound legislative and regulatory environment that helps us to develop the next generation of cutting edge technologies.
• Chemicals Regulation:  There are a growing number of legislative efforts affecting the use of chemicals in consumer products.  Bans and limitations on chemicals that today are safely used in our products could significantly affect our ability to innovate and to provide products of superior quality, performance and value as well as safety.

These are significant issues with meaningful implications for our business and employees.  We want to ensure that we all – as U.S. citizens and as P&Gers – are well-informed about these and other issues that could affect us, our families and the Company.  Over the next few weeks, you will see a series of communications providing information on “Engaging for a Competitive Tomorrow”. Each will provide more details on the five public policy issues that we believe have the greatest potential implications for our business and organization.  I encourage you to understand and to consider each of these issues as you research candidates and make your voting decision. 

Thank you for visiting www.pgvotes.com for your 2008 election research. We will continue to keep you informed regarding the status of these issues in 2009 and beyond.

Thank you.

A.G. Lafley
September 8, 2008

About Engaging for a Competitive Tomorrow 

P&G respects everyone’s right and responsibility to participate in the election process based on their own views, values and beliefs. P&G leaders are sharing information regarding public policies that could have significant implications for P&G’s business and the future competitiveness and prosperity of the U.S. and global economy.  The information being shared is focused solely on business issues and is not intended to advise employees how to vote.