IN THIS ISSUE: 10 ways the Chamber helped L.A. business this quarter 3 Jobs for L.A.’s youth 6 Chamber A conversation with L.A. County Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke 9 VOICE SUMMER 2008 · VOLUME 7 · ISSUE 3 A quarterly publication of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Building America Together The Chamber advocates for business in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento The Chamber expects to see more movement on its advocacy agenda in the months ahead. During the spring months, members of the Los Brewer III, Board President MÓnica GarcÍa, Board Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce were Vice President Yolie Flores Aguilar and L.A. City Our State’s Capital Councilmembers Wendy Greuel, Janice Hahn and actively advocating on behalf of Southern During Access Sacramento, a delegation of nearly Bill Rosendahl. California businesses in Washington, D.C. 100 business leaders advocated for bipartisan and Sacramento during the Chamber’s Access Over three days of intense lobbying, the delegation collaboration and long-term solutions to our regions trips—the premier advocacy trips in our region. met with more than 125 elected officials and most pressing issues including business and job policymakers on issues including the pending Free growth, California Environment Quality Act (CEQA) Our Nation’s Capital Trade Agreements with Colombia and South Korea; reform, public-private partnerships and much more. This year’s Access Washington, D.C. trip, led by the Chamber in partnership with Seven teams met with more than 50 lawmakers 20 other Southern California business during the visit. Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, organizations, brought more than 200 Senate Pro Tem-elect Darrell Steinberg, outgoing business and civic leaders to our nation’s Senate Minority Leader Dick Ackerman and Senator Capital to advocate on key issues in the Denise Moreno Ducheny, Chair, Senate Budget & region. Fiscal Review Committee addressed the delegation and thanked Chamber members for making their Delegation members met with numerous voices heard. leading officials including: U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA); House Speaker “I urge the L.A. Area Chamber, as a rational voice, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); U.S. Trade to step forward and say the state must find a more Representative Ambassador Susan C. fair way to govern itself,” stated Senate Pro Tem-elect Schwab; House Majority Whip James E. Darrell Steinberg. Clyburn (D-SC); House Transportation In conjunction with the trip, the Chamber also & Infrastructure Chairman James released the results of its member survey on the Oberstar (D-MN); U.S. Rep. Lucille various state budget proposals and its guiding Roybal-Allard (D-CA) and U.S. Rep. MAKING OUR VOICES HEARD. U.S. Rep. Roybal-Allard welcomes more than 200 business and civic leaders to Washington D.C. on the annual Access Washington D.C. principles for state budget reform. Ed Royce (R-CA). trip April 15-18. “There is no doubt that Southern California provides goods movement-specific funding in SAFETEA-LU a significant return on investment to America. reauthorization; support for the Summer Jobs Act; Reforming California’s With an economy ranking 15th in the world, the funding for local hospitals; support for the Los region has more people, more businesses and more Angeles International Airport (LAX) global entry State Budget international trade than 47 states in our nation,” passenger program; and much more. Chamber members weigh-in on budget said Roybal-Allard. “I thank the Los Angeles Area “Know your power,” said House Speaker Pelosi at a proposals Chamber of Commerce for uniting this group of breakfast briefing during the trip. “When you come, more than 200 business and civic leaders to come to California is no stranger to budget deficits. A it makes a big difference. People listen.” Washington to remind my colleagues of the tremen- recent editorial in the Los Angeles Times high- dous value Southern California adds to our nation’s The trip to Washington, D.C. has already paid off. lighted the economic circumstances and politically- economy.” After members of the delegation, including difficult solutions of at least four former Governors Villaraigosa, Rosendahl and Chamber President & faced with similar budget crises – Governors The prestigious delegation included L.A. Mayor CEO Gary Toebben met with Homeland Security Earl Warren, Pat Brown, Ronald Reagan and Pete Antonio Villaraigosa, Santa Monica Mayor Herb Secretary Michael Chertoff, the department agreed Wilson. And today, Governor Schwarzenegger and Katz, Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook, to add 25 U.S. Customs and Border Protection California’s lawmakers face a $17 billion budget San Gabriel Mayor Harry Baldwin, Los Angeles agents at LAX this summer and fill 22 vacant deficit. Unified School District Superintendent David L. customs agent positions at the airport. As the Summer budgeting season headed into full swing this June, Chamber members made their I thank the Los Angeles Area voices heard through a survey on the various “Chamber of Commerce for uniting spending cuts and tax/fee increase proposals being this group of more than 200 discussed in the Legislature. business and civic leaders to Nearly two thirds of Chamber members responding come to Washington to remind to the survey support a combination of spending my colleagues of the tremendous“ cuts and tax/fee increases to address the current value Southern California adds to fiscal crisis. Thirty-two percent favored spending our nation’s economy. cuts alone. Fifty-six percent said they would support reinstating the vehicle license fee to the - Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard pre-1998 level of 2 percent of vehicle value. Following the trip, representatives from the 65% of Chamber Members Support Metropolitan Water District of Southern a Combination of Spending Cuts California, including Assistant General Manager/ and Tax/Fee Increases to Balance Chief Administrative Officer Gilbert Ivey, a Chamber the Budget Board member, participated in a Congressional and Senate briefing on the quagga mussels, which are With a soft economy and looming budget decisions known to clog water delivery lines, but have not yet poised to affect every business, 67 percent of been detected in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Chamber members opposed a sales tax on services, California State Assembly Speaker Karen Bass addresses a delegation of 100 business leaders at the Access Sacramento delegation breakfast The delegation also discussed this threatening issue 59 percent opposed increasing the state sales tax, in June. with legislators during Access Washington, D.C. Continued on page 4 A better L.A. is our business Advocating on behalf of business in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento Thank you to all of our members who participated in Access Washington, D.C., April 15 - 17, and Access Sacramento, June 16 - 17. Everyone who joined us on these important advocacy trips invested their precious Calendar of Events time into building a stronger economy and better quality of life for all Southern Californians. Want to know what’s coming up at the Chamber this summer? Visit www.lachamber.com to view Several elected officials were instrumental to our trips’ success. U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard and her staff and register for upcoming events. Below are some are always the first to assist when our delegation heads key signature events you won’t want to miss: to Washington, D.C. The Congresswoman hosted our delegation’s news conference at the Capitol and was personally involved in helping us plan key events. Event Highlights U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also took the time to meet and discuss key issues with our delegation. Access Washington, D.C. participants met with more than 125 members of Congress and Administration officials – an enormously strong statement about the importance of Southern California to the nation’s economy. Thu | July 24 Access Washington, D.C. would not have been possible without strong partnerships L.A.’s Largest Mixer X with nearly two-dozen fellow business advocacy organizations, local agencies and Network with other businesses at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center. Bringing elected officials. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his staff as well as together more than 100 exhibitors and more than 3,000 business people, L.A.’s leaders from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, including Largest Mixer X provides the best place for the ultimate business networking Steering Committee Chair Gilbert Ivey, were especially instrumental throughout the experience. For more information, call 323.230.5656 or visit www.lamixer.com. planning process. Later in June, our Access Sacramento delegation met with more than 50 members of the state Legislature including State Senate President Pro Tempore-elect Darrell The Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles ), Outgoing Connection Senate Minority Leader Dick Ackerman (R-Irvine) and State Senator Denise Moreno Thu | July 31 Ducheny (D-San Diego), Chair, Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee on key Point issues including the state budget deficit, transportation, education and health care. The Connection Point Join us for the July session of The Connection Point, one of a series of seven Access Washington, D.C. and Access Sacramento serve as the centerpieces of our programs designed to help members maximize their networking efforts and year-long efforts to make sure that Los Angeles and Southern California have a strong empower them with innovative techniques to market their way to the top of voice in the federal and state decisions that affect our members and our community. their industry. For more information, contact Program Manager Bridget Netter, The ability of local business leaders, elected officials and concerned citizens to 213.580.7576 or [email protected]. coalesce around a consensus advocacy agenda is essential to making sure lawmakers address our concerns. Thank you for giving your time to represent business and our community.