Blogs of the LA Area Chamber

Yesterday we celebrated Memorial Day. Many of us had the day off while thousands of men and women in uniform were on active duty around the world protecting the freedom of our great nation and other people around the world. We owe our freedom and the opportunities we have today to the veterans who have served and protected our nation in the past and to the young men and women who are serving today. 

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As a way to achieve State mandates for waste reduction and recycling, as well as generate more revenue, the City of Los Angeles is considering a major overhaul of how trash is collected for commercial and multi-family properties by instituting a franchise system. Neighboring cities have instituted franchise systems and the County of Los Angeles has started the process to move toward a non-exclusive franchise system. But that’s where the similarities between this trend and the City’s proposal end.


 



 

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Last Friday, the Chamber's Environmental Sustainability Policy Council, in conjunction with Opportunity Green, hosted a panel to discuss the state of the clean tech industry in Los Angeles. A standing room-only crowd heard from experts in the industry on what venture capitalists are looking to invest in, what Los Anglees needs to do to cultivate a more clean tech friendly environment and what game-changing technologies are on the horizon.



 

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Yesterday, Gov. Jerry Brown released his revised state budget that proposes the elimination of 43 various departments, commissions and task forces in an effort to help close California’s budget deficit. Much of that streamlining will improve efficiency and save taxpayer dollars. However, there is one new department that state lawmakers should actually create in this climate — a new Agency for Economic Development, Job Creation and Competitiveness.  

California has the dubious distinction of being one of the few — perhaps only — states without an agency to help compete for and provide assistance to job creating employers. Other states, including competitors like New York, Arizona, Texas and Nevada all have state agencies that focus like a laser beam on economic development. These agencies coordinate efforts to recruit California businesses through incentives, but just as important is their role in helping existing companies within their state to grow and expand by cutting through red tape at the state level. 

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Exports are the key to putting America back on track in the global economy. Only 1 percent of U.S. companies are exporting. Yet with more than 1 billion new global middle class consumers expected over the next 15 years, U.S. businesses will have market opportunities unparalleled in human history. The challenge is to seize this moment by implementing a national export strategy that will truly lift all boats...

 

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This week, business and community leaders from Southern California are in Washington, D.C. advocating for job creation to ensure that Los Angeles is a driver in the nation’s economic recovery. As Congress and the Obama Administration continue to address the budget deficit, the delegation is advocating strategic investments in critical priorities to establish a long-term plan for economic growth.

The delegation is presenting 25 different recommendations in the areas of economy and infrastructure, education, energy and sustainability, health care, housing and water.

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