Blogs of the LA Area Chamber
Save Water for Our Future – Make a Plan Today
Gary Toebben on April 14, 2015 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
The current drought requires all of us to be on the same team when it comes to conserving water. Whether your goal is reducing the water you use by 20 percent, 25 percent or more, every business and every household in Los Angeles County must carry its share of the load.
Lawmakers, major water users and environmentalists have already started to blame someone else for our current water shortage. For a moment, let’s stop blaming someone else and look to our own ingenuity. We are in the fourth year of a drought, the snowpack in the Sierras is five percent of normal and we are running out of water. It is time for all of us to take action.
Health Insurance Tax Penalty: What you could pay if you don't get covered
Presented by: Health Law Guide for Business Team on April 8, 2015 at 10:00:00 am
Posted in Health Care Waiting Room
For the first time when filing their taxes, people are facing a penalty if they do not have health insurance. Known as the “shared responsibility payment,” this can amount to 1 percent of a household’s 2014 income, or $95 per adult and $47 per child, whichever is higher. Many people are now realizing that 1 percent of their household income is in fact much greater than $95. For 2015, the penalty will go up significantly and in many cases it will more than double.
Make Plans Today to HIRE LAÂ’s Youth This Summer
Gary Toebben on April 7, 2015 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Employment for young adults continues to decline nationwide and 6 million young adults are neither working nor in school. Research shows that summer jobs encourage young people to graduate from high school and continue their education in a community college, trade school or four-year university. It is the goal of HIRE- LA’s Youth to give thousands of young people in Los Angeles County the opportunity to learn valuable life skills by earning a paycheck this summer.
International Trade Essential To Future Jobs
Gary Toebben on March 31, 2015 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
In 1926, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce sponsored a celebration of International Trade that became a predictor of the future. That celebration, World Trade Week, was intended to open the eyes of Angelenos to the international trade opportunities that awaited L.A. businesses. Other metropolitan areas soon followed our lead and in 1935 President Franklin Roosevelt declared World Trade Week as worthy of national recognition. On May 5, 2015, the Chamber will sponsor its 89th annual World Trade Week Kick-off Breakfast at the Beverly Hilton.
The End of SGR?
Samantha Beasley, Senior Public Policy Manager, L.A. Area Chamber on March 25, 2015 at 3:00:00 pm
Posted in Health Care Waiting Room
House leaders from both sides of the aisle are finally coming together to change the way the federal government pays Medicare doctors. Championed by House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act, was introduced on Monday to permanently repeal and replace the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula for Medicare payments to physicians. Without a remedy or replacement plan in place before the current ‘doc fix’ expires, physicians would see a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments on April 1.
Minimum Wage Increase – Intent and Results Will Not Match
Gary Toebben on March 23, 2015 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Southern California Delegates Blanket the Capitol to Advocate for Action on Critical Issues
Gary Toebben on March 17, 2015 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
At this moment, more than 180 leaders from business, government and nonprofits are making their way through the halls of our Capitol as part of ACCESS Washington D.C. 2015. ACCESS D.C. is our region’s largest, annual lobbying trip, sponsored by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and 12 other business organizations.
Privatization Makes Money for L.A. Convention Center – What Should Be Next?
Gary Toebben on March 10, 2015 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Last month the L.A. Convention Center announced a $3.3 million profit for 2014. The first-ever profit at the Convention Center was the result of a new partnership between the City of Los Angeles and AEG to operate the facility.
Vote Tomorrow in City Elections
Gary Toebben on March 2, 2015 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
The primary election for local governing bodies is tomorrow. If you have not already voted by mail, we urge you to identify your polling location and plan to vote tomorrow.
Consolidating Health Care Services for L.A. County Residents
Samantha Beasley and Shelby Thurston, L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce on February 25, 2015 at 10:00:00 am
Posted in Health Care Waiting Room
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is proposing a big change to the way Los Angeles County provides health care for its residents. On Jan. 13, County Supervisors voted unanimously to continue moving toward the merging of three different health departments. This proposal, championed by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and Mitch Katz, director of the L.A. County Department of Health Services (DHS), would merge the County’s public and mental health agencies with the DHS, which currently runs a number of hospitals and clinics in the L.A. region.