Blogs of the LA Area Chamber
Just 87 Yards
Gary Toebben on February 26, 2013 at 12:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
The Coalition to Fix LAX NOW is excited about two victories in the effort to finally modernize the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Recently the Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) voted 6-1 to support anLAX modernization plan that includes separating the north runways by an additional 87 yards. Soon thereafter, the City Planning Commission (CPC) concurred and voted unanimously to support the BOAC plan to provide Los Angeles with the world class airport we deserve.
No Time to Rest on Transportation Investment
Gary Toebben on February 19, 2013 at 12:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Last year, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed the first surface transportation reauthorization bill after nine extensions. This legislation, Moving Ahead for Progress in the Twenty-First Century (MAP-21), included a provision known as America Fast Forward (AFF), which was born out of the ingenuity of Los Angeles transportation leadership. Spearheaded by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Metropolitan Transportation Agency and championed by the L.A. Area Chamber and Labor, the program expanded theTransportation Infrastructure Finance & Innovation Act (TIFIA) fund tenfold for infrastructure projects nationwide. Locally it helped accelerate Measure R projects including the Crenshaw Transit Corridor line, which received a $549 million TIFIA loan this past October.
Continuing the American Dream With Immigration Reform
Gary Toebben on February 12, 2013 at 12:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
The United States is a nation of immigrants. For 500 years, we have experienced a constant flow of people from around the globe. My family came from Germany in 1860 and was part of the westward migration of hardworking families who settled the plains of Nebraska and converted what early explorers called "the great American desert" into the breadbasket it is today.
Tax Reform in the Red Zone
Gary Toebben on February 5, 2013 at 12:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
This Wednesday, the Ad-Hoc Committee on Business Tax Reform will meet for the first time to begin the formal process of phasing in reform of the gross receipts tax once and for all. This committee, chaired by L.A. City Councilmember Paul Krekorian and Vice-Chair Eric Garcetti, will build on the work done by the Business Tax Advisory Commission (BTAC) and lay out a plan for a reduction of the tax known as one of the greatest barriers to doing business in the city of Los Angeles.