Blogs of the LA Area Chamber

This weekend we’ll celebrate Labor Day, traditionally the end of summer and the return of football and cool autumn temperatures. Fortunately, talk is finally heating up on a game plan to put California back on track toward a winning economy. Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown released a three-part California Jobs First Plan to spur companies to hire California workers. This is on the heels of Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom's Economic Growth and Competitiveness Agenda to lead California into the post-recession "Next Economy." With fears of an economic relapse on the horizon, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce applauds both Gov. Brown and Lt. Gov. Newsom for putting plans on the chalkboard to make business investment and job creation the top priority for California lawmakers. 

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When part of our California landscape is burning, we send in the firefighters. The California dream is ablaze for millions of able men and women whose ability to support their families has gone up in smoke. The California Legislature will adjourn the 2011 legislative session on Friday, Sept. 9. Taking bold action in the next three weeks will not require more tax revenue, but it will require bipartisanship, political will and a relentless focus on passing laws that will encourage and enable the private sector to create new jobs for Californians. 

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When the name of the Energy, Water & Environment Committee was changed to the Environmental Sustainability Council, the thought was to broaden the Chamber’s vision of how to promote economic growth through sustainable, pro-jobs energy and environmental policies.  In 2011, in addition to tackling the traditional topics of environmental regulations, energy supplies and reliable water sources, the Council partnered with Opportunity Green to design panels that creatively focus on where green and clean innovation is headed.

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Last Friday, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), joined the Chamber, Mayor Villariagosa, Metro CEO Art Leahy, Metro Boardmember Richard Katz and Metrolink CEO John Fenton for a conversation on transportation authorization and America Fast Forward.  The Congressman, a senior member on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials emphasized to Chamber members that “if we don’t make our infrastructure a priority, we are going to get left behind globally.”

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Unlike most major U.S. cities, the Los Angeles Zoo is still tethered to a city government that will soon be unable to afford to feed the animals or the keepers. An effort to explore an opportunity to create a public/private partnership for our Zoo, by releasing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for an independent operator, passed in L.A. City Council last week. But we have a long way to go before progress is assured. 

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For months the City of Los Angeles has been watching closely, with both fanfare and skepticism, as to whether or not an agreement for a downtown stadium and events center near the Staples Center could be worked out to the benefit of the City. With the release and public review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Los Angeles and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), we now have an outline for a deal that reflects tough negotiations that protect Los Angeles taxpayers and offer the potential of a major economic stimulus for the City.

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The business community applauds the bi-partisan efforts of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for the passage of legislation to raise the national debt ceiling and reduce the federal deficit. These leaders persevered to find the middle ground in a very contentious debate that had the nation wondering if it was still possible to compromise on any issue in Washington, D.C. 

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