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2009 CHAMBER ADVOCACY AGENDA
As the region’s leading business advocacy organization, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce mobilizes business leadership in support of policies that promote business growth, ensure economic prosperity and improve quality of life for all that live and work in the greater L.A. area. During these difficult economic times, the L.A. Area Chamber will focus its advocacy efforts on accelerating economic recovery. Our leadership and policy committees will strongly support policies that create jobs and business growth and fiercely oppose those that stall it. The Chamber will work to ensure that business is the leader on the road to recovery so that today’s crisis does not become tomorrow’s missed opportunity.
Local - Los Angeles Area
Prioritize job creation
Lawmakers must prioritize and fast track opportunities that will create jobs immediately. Efforts to stall hospital expansions and new retail projects hurt the local business climate and delay efforts to reduce our area’s high unemployment rate.
Create a business-friendly City of Los Angeles
The Chamber’s top priority is advocating for a better local business climate that fosters job creation and economic growth. The City of Los Angeles must continue to streamline the permitting and planning process, reduce business taxes and develop a more collaborative approach to local economic development.
Renovate LAX and Port of Los Angeles
L.A.’s international airport and seaport are a combined $120 billion economic engine that drives much of our local economy. Successfully renovating both facilities today will create up to 1 million new, good-paying jobs over the next two decades and position the Los Angeles region as a global economic leader.
Successfully implement Measure R (congestion relief)
The Chamber endorsed the half-cent L.A. County sales tax increase in 2008 to generate more than $40 billion over the next 30 years for congestion relief projects. Ensuring that the funds are spent effectively on new transit projects, highway expansions and road improvements is essential to keep Los Angeles moving.
Educate a 21st century workforce
Long-term economic growth requires a workforce prepared for high-tech, emerging sector jobs. As one of California’s leading education reform advocates, the Chamber will partner with the Los Angeles Unified School District, community colleges and other stakeholders to develop and implement better strategies for workforce development.
Empower green businesses
Los Angeles must seize the opportunity to build a "green" economy that creates new jobs while improving our environment. The Chamber is co-leading the development of a citywide green business certification program and champions policies that will attract green tech companies to the region.
State - California
State budget and economic reform
Ending chronic budget deficits and updating an outdated fiscal system is essential to keeping California’s economy healthy. The Chamber advocates for pragmatic, bipartisan solutions that will modernize the state’s budget, fiscal and regulatory policies for the 21st century economy. This also includes protecting important workers’ compensation reforms, approving tax credits to retain film production and identifying new ways to attract businesses to California.
Improve water reliability
Reliable water supplies are the lifeblood of Southern California. Unless California fixes critical infrastructure issues in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, our region faces an inevitable economic and natural disaster. The Chamber has partnered with labor unions, water agencies and lawmakers to implement solutions in 2009 that will improve water reliability as well as the environmental integrity of the Delta.
Expand public-private partnerships
Expanding public-private partnerships (P3) is essential to creating jobs today while meeting the state’s significant unfunded infrastructure needs. The Chamber supports removing legislative hurdles that prevent state agencies from approving P3
projects. This is also essential to jumpstarting projects that are eligible for immediate federal funding.
Responsibly address climate change
The Chamber supports the responsible implementation of AB 32 and other air quality regulations that will help California meet its landmark climate reduction goals without unnecessarily hurting our business climate. This includes carefully evaluating proposed climate and air quality rules to ensure that they balance the environmental, economic and social effects.
Strengthen California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) rules
CEQA was originally intended to ensure environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, CEQA is often used by opponents to legally stop development projects for issues unrelated to environment. The Chamber supports strengthening CEQA on its original intent while ensuring that worthwhile projects are not delayed by unnecessary lawsuits.
Federal - Washington, D.C.
Increase investment in transportation and goods movement
As the entry point for more than 40 percent of the nation’s imports, Southern California is a national economic asset. The Chamber advocates for greater federal investment in our local infrastructure to improve the flow of goods to the rest of the United States. This investment will create jobs, reduce congestion and benefit the environment.
Prioritize health care reform
Businesses ultimately bear the financial burden of skyrocketing health care costs through higher premiums and reduced employee benefits. Reform efforts should focus on shared responsibility for health care financing, increased reimbursements for local hospitals and a greater focus on preventative care.
Pass Free Trade Agreements
Free trade is critical for Southern California’s goods movement and international business sectors that contribute billions to our local economy each year. The Chamber advocates for swift approval of pending Free Trade Agreements to spur U.S. exports, increase foreign investment in the United States and maximize the region’s position in the global economy.