Blogs of the LA Area Chamber
Changing Lives and Shaping Our Workforce: Summer Internships Make a Difference
Gary Toebben on February 23, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Los Angeles County has more than 200,000 young people who are out of school and out of work. At the same time, many businesses are struggling to fill thousands of entry-level positions. We call these 16-24 year olds “Opportunity Youth,” because their disconnection from the labor force is a significant loss to the L.A. economy.
Covered California for Small Business boosts coverage for small companies
Covered California for Small Business on February 17, 2016 at 3:30:00 pm
Posted in Health Care Waiting Room
This is an important year for small businesses looking to gain an edge on the competition by offering group health insurance to its employees through Covered California for Small Business (CCSB) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
In 2016, businesses with up to 100 employees can apply for coverage for their workers. That is an increase from 2015, when only businesses with fewer than 50 workers could apply for coverage through the Covered California exchange.
LADWP Infrastructure Investments Deserve Our Support
Gary Toebben on February 16, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Angelenos in every corner of the City at one point or another have been impacted by a broken water main or electricity blackout. These incidents are the most visible signs of our aging water and power systems and the necessity of maintaining the infrastructure in the 465 square-mile area served by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP). The business community has a long history of recognizing that improvements to and maintenance of our utility infrastructure is key to the health of our economy and has supported rate increases that dedicate funds to this use.
Transportation Funding Needs Green Light in Sacramento
Gary Toebben on February 9, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
In his State of the State address in January, Gov. Jerry Brown once again called on the Legislature to find a solution to California’s funding gap for highways, bridges and transit. The funding shortfall for the basic transportation needs of our state is getting worse every day and our businesses, residents and visitors are grumbling.
A Last-Minute Reprieve For Some Consumers On California Exchange
Ched Terhune and Barbara Feder Ostrov, California Healthline on February 3, 2016 at 11:00:00 am
Posted in Health Care Waiting Room
Covered California, the state's insurance exchange, announced Friday that it was extending its enrollment deadline until Feb. 6 for people who had officially begun the process of signing up by Sunday.
Exchange officials said they extended the Sunday deadline to accommodate a surge in enrollment in the previous week involving “tens of thousands” of consumers.
Cashing in on the Promise of College
Gary Toebben on February 2, 2016 at 9:00:00 am
Posted in The Business Perspective
Each year thousands of qualified high school seniors do not apply to college because they fear the financial barriers are too great and they are unaware of opportunities to secure financial aid. In 2014, the “California Financial Aid Tracker” from Education Trust-West revealed that 40 percent of California’s public high school graduating seniors do not file financial aid applications and leave millions of dollars of financial aid unused.