Applause: Two Bold Steps For Our Future
April 17, 2018
by Gary Toebben
Last week, two bold steps were taken that will positively affect Los Angeles and Southern California for decades. The Chamber was a proud champion of both.
On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California voted to take the lead on the construction and financing of the California WaterFix to modernize the State Water Project. California WaterFix has the twofold goal of improving the environment of the San Joaquin Delta and ensuring water reliability for Southern California. The State Water Project has been a vital source of water for Southern California since 1971. The MWD Board of Directors approved this action with a 61 percent majority vote.
The Chamber’s history includes championing projects like the Los Angeles Aqueduct, the Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project. We applaud Gov. Brown's WaterFix proposal and MWD's 90 years of leadership in bringing water to the semi-arid region of Southern California.
Wednesday of last week, the L.A. City Council approved a $4.9 billion contract with a consortium of seven contractors to build, finance and operate for 25 years an automated people mover connecting the MTA Crenshaw line to the passenger terminals at LAX. The planning for this long-awaited transit connection to LAX began after the City Council approved a new master plan for the airport in the spring of 2013 on a 12-3 vote. The Chamber championed the new master plan during 2012 and 2013 at dozens of public meetings leading up to the final City Council vote. We also defended the new master plan during subsequent challenges by opponents. The new master plan unleashed $14 billion worth of modernization projects at LAX. The automated people mover should be in operation by 2023, well in advance of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Chamber applauds the board of directors of MWD and the Board of Airport Commissioners along with the staffs of both organizations. Their bold vision and leadership will benefit current and future residents of Los Angeles and Southern California for generations.
And that's The Business Perspective.
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