The Business Perspective

"I join with all those who say Measure S goes too far."
- Gov. Jerry Brown

Last week Gov. Brown agreed with what a historic coalition of community residents and civic leaders has been saying for over a year - Measure S goes too far. In his second term, the Governor has led the charge to address the housing crisis in California's cities. His 2017-2018 budget warned specifically of the dangers of anti-housing policies like Measure S. The Governor's budget demonstrated how a housing ban would raise rents, drive away the middle-class, and worsen homelessness, climate change and traffic. Thank you Gov. Brown for joining us. 

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The Los Angeles Daily News began its editorial this past weekend in opposition to Measure S with these two sentences: "Measure S, the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative, is by far the most consequential ballot measure facing Los Angeles city voters on March 7. While it aims to quell conflicts of interest and pay-to-play politics, its good points are outweighed by its unintended consequences, hurting economic vitality and progress in L.A. It deserves a no vote."

We're only two weeks away from one of the most impactful elections in Los Angeles history. That is why the Chamber is urging all of its members to encourage their 650,000 employees in L.A. and L.A. County to vote on March 7.

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"Measure S would block the construction of new and much-needed housing ... Measure S would make it harder to address homelessness ... Measure S would also stifle economic development in communities that want the development."  - Los Angeles Times Editorial Board, 2/11/17

The largest, most diverse coalition of business, labor, elected officials, civic leaders and non-profits has been communicating with voters for months how dangerous Measure S is to the future of our city. This past weekend, the Los Angeles Times editorial board weighed in, strongly urging a NO vote. While acknowledging the issues that laid the groundwork for the measure, the editorial board stated in no uncertain terms that "Measure S isn't a solution to L.A.'s housing woes, it's a childish middle finger to City Hall."

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Four weeks from today, City of Los Angeles residents will head to the polls to vote for city-wide elected offices and odd-numbered Council Districts. If you vote by mail, please keep an eye out for the ballots that will be mailed this week.

The L.A. Jobs PAC, sponsored by the Chamber, interviewed candidates in selected races over the last few months and is proud to present this list of candidate endorsements for the March 7 election. As you can see, the Jobs PAC did not endorse in all races. 

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Yesterday, I stood with Los Angeles County Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas, Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, L.A. Councilmember Curren Price, mayors and councilmembers from other cities throughout L.A. County, labor representatives, social service and non-profit leaders, religious communities and environmentalists in support of Measure H to tackle the crisis of homelessness in L.A. County. This quarter cent sales tax on the March 7 ballot will create a dedicated stream of revenue to provide an array of services, including outreach, housing, mental health care and job training, to the 47,000 homeless individuals in our region.

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The sponsors of Measure S claim that this two-year construction moratorium is altruistic, to halt greed and improve life in Los Angeles. They claim that this draconian measure will increase housing affordability and decrease traffic. The exact opposite is true.

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The New Year has delivered the first long, steady rain and snow to California in a long time. Our reservoirs are refilling and our groundwater basins are beginning to replenish.

This is not the time, however, to exhale and assume our water crisis is over. While up to 40 percent of the State is no longer in a drought, that is not the case for Southern California, where some parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties are still classified as "extreme drought." The Metropolitan Water District's regional reservoirs remain at much lower levels than at the beginning of the drought, in part because much of the rain we have received was not captured, it simply flowed to the ocean. We still lack the infrastructure to secure our long-term water reliability and resiliency.

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Advocating for legislation that stimulates economic growth, more good jobs and a higher quality of life is one of the core missions of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. The heart of our influence and success in these efforts is member engagement. Personally taking your stories to elected officials about the impact of legislation on your companies, organizations and clients is essential to our success.

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2016 finished strong for the Los Angeles County economy. Employment during the year grew by 65,300 jobs and the unemployment rate declined to 5.1 percent. Voters expressed their willingness to invest in transportation (Measure M), housing (Measure HHH) and education (Measure CC) at the Nov. 8 election by 71.15 percent, 77.14 percent and 75.92 percent respectively. We have the opportunity to continue this positive economic momentum in 2017 if our voters and elected officials continue taking bold actions to build on these basic foundations. Here is how:

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In my final Business Perspective of 2016, I want to say thank you to the 1,650 member companies and organizations who support the mission and work of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. When the Chamber was founded in 1888, 54 business owners signaled their commitment and determination to make L.A. an economic powerhouse and a great place to live and visit. Only 50,000 people lived in L.A. at that time.

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