Blogs of the LA Area Chamber
Don't Exacerbate Our Housing Crisis- Vote No on Measure JJJ
Gary Toebben on November 1, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
The Los Angeles Times says No on JJJ. The Daily News says No on JJJ. Why? Because there is broad consensus by those who have studied JJJ that this poorly crafted measure will do the opposite of what it purports to do by making it more costly to build housing that our city desperately needs.
Mobility 21 Summit Stands in Support of Measure M
Gary Toebben on October 25, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Last Friday, 1,200 transportation experts at the annual Mobility 21 Summit in Anaheim voiced their support for Measure M, the Los Angeles County transportation measure on the Nov. 8 ballot. Metro Chairman John Fasano and City of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti were articulate spokespersons for the dramatic improvements that Measure M will provide to mobility and quality of life in L.A. County.
Vote on November 8 - L.A. Area Chamber Recommendations
Gary Toebben on October 18, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Three weeks from today, Americans across the country will be heading to the polls. Here in California, you should have already received your state and local voter guides, sample ballot and an actual ballot if you are registered to vote by mail.
The California voter guide, issued by the Secretary of State, is 224-pages, covering 17 propositions that include nine new laws, six constitutional amendments, one referendum and one ballot question. Los Angeles County voters will have three additional measures and City of L.A. voters will have four more. The local measures are the last items on the ballot, but they address several high priorities of the Chamber and the community.
CMS Gets Kudos for New Medicare Payment Rule
Mary Ellen McIntire, Morning Consult on October 14, 2016 at 12:00:00 pm
Posted in Health Care Waiting Room
Reaction was positive to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule released Friday finalizing changes to how doctors are paid through Medicare. Health provider groups said they were pleased that the agency has been, and expects to continue to be, responsive to their concerns.
The changes implement a new law aimed at saving the Medicare program money by rewarding providers for high quality care. Under the rule, providers will have two paths to choose from to start shifting away from the traditional fee-for-service system.
Vote YES on Measure CC for our Community College Students
Gary Toebben on October 11, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
The nine colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) are essential to meeting the workforce needs of employers in the L.A. region. That is why the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is joined by the Los Angeles Times in strongly recommending a YES vote on Measure CC.
Good health is good for business!
Sam Beasley, Director, Public Policy, L.A. Area Chamber on October 6, 2016 at 10:00:00 am
Posted in Health Care Waiting Room
Losses in productivity due to worker illness and injury cost U.S. employers $225.8 billion annually. Knowing what business leaders can do to improve health and wellness among employees and within their community has shown to not only help businesses thrive, but it can also be the tipping point towards ensuring economic vitality and creating equitable prosperity.
Vote No, No, No on Measure JJJ
Gary Toebben on October 4, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
"Measure JJJ would impose some of the nation's most demanding affordable housing and wage mandates on privately-funded development. It was written without any analysis of whether the measure would actually relieve the city's affordable housing crisis, as opposed to increasing the cost of new construction so much that developers build fewer units for low- and middle-income Angelenos." - Los Angeles Times Editorial Board, 9/27/16
The Chamber, along with a coalition of community organizations, homeless advocates, housing advocates and tenant rights groups, opposes Measure JJJ and so does the Los Angeles Times editorial board. Measure JJJ would place huge burdens on the ability of developers to build the housing we desperately need to address our affordability and homeless crisis.
Vote Yes on Measure M - L.A. County's Path to Improved Mobility
Gary Toebben on September 27, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Very rarely are we, as citizens, given the opportunity to make a decision that will dramatically transform our economy and our quality of life for generations to come. That is the opportunity that Los Angeles County residents have on Nov. 8 when we vote on whether to continue our investment in transportation improvements for our entire county through Measure M.
Can Health Care Adapt to a New Economy?
Samantha Beasley, Director, Public Policy, L.A. Area Chamber on September 23, 2016 at 11:00:00 am
Posted in Health Care Waiting Room
Today, consumers expect what they want, when they want it. But where does this emerging on-demand economy leave health care?
Consider the state of health care. The average wait time to see a primary care doctor is 18 days. The average emergency room wait time in Los Angeles is 3.5 hours. And yet 71 percent of emergency room visits are unnecessary.
Yes on Measure HHH- Help House the Homeless
Gary Toebben on September 20, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Six years ago, the Chamber and the United Way released Home For Good, an action plan to end chronic and veteran homelessness in L.A. Since then, cooperation between the business community, philanthropic foundations, apartment owners, and local and federal officials has helped house 14,543 chronically homeless people and 16,939 homeless veterans. But, regrettably, the number of new homeless is growing faster than our solutions.