In Congress, a Water Deal for California
(Editor’s Note: Legislation to bring water to California communities was introduced yesterday in Congress and will be voted on this week by the House and Senate. It is a byproduct of bipartisan negotiations between the House and Senate.) After years of hard work with countless constituencies, Congress is ready to pass a California water deal. This legislation will […]
An Election that Shifts the Economic Center West—To the Far East
Did the presidential election change the Pacific Rim as we know it? During these days of transition speculation, there is plenty of talk about what president-elect Donald Trump’s victory means for health care, for immigrants, for the economy, for minorities, for NATO, and so on. In terms of long-term national interests, it’s important to add […]
Three Political Parties Populate the New Legislature
If you listen closely to post election chatter you must conclude that there will be three political parties that occupy seats in the legislature sworn in today: The Democrats, the Republicans and the Moderates. Questions about moderate Democrats, the so-called “Mod Squad,” and how they may influence the legislative process is a major unknown for […]
CalChamber Survey Reveals Voters’ Homegrown Issues
The Second Annual CalChamber Survey, released this week, indicates that the state’s voters believe there are some homegrown issues that deserve the attention of California legislators. Among top priorities for voters are fixing transportation systems, improving job creation, and addressing high housing costs. Given a choice among about 20 issues, nearly nine in ten voters believe that […]
All I Want for Christmas is an Accountable Supermajority
After a thunderstorm of post-election recounts across the Golden State, it appears that Democrats have reclaimed a supermajority in the California Legislature. Whatever one’s political sway – and this applies to national election results, as well – it’s important for all voters to respect that “the people have spoken,” turn the page and hope for […]
Xavier Becerra, a Wartime Attorney General
If you were uncertain whether California government was already at war Trump-occupied Washington D.C., there’s no reason to doubt any longer. In choosing Congressman Xavier Becerra to replace U.S. Senator-elect Kamala Harris, Gov. Jerry Brown undeniably chose a wartime attorney general. Becerra’s pick was a surprise, only if you wondered how fiercely opposed California will […]
Is Becerra Bad for Business?
Response from the business community over Governor Jerry Brown’s selection of Congressman Xavier Becerra as the next attorney general will be muted for the most part. Not a surprise. Why would any business leader want to make a negative comment about someone taking over such a powerful position, and in the alternative would a business […]
Growing the Los Angeles Economy Through Tech Entrepreneurs
The story of the growth of Los Angeles and its economy is highlighted by the ingenuity and vision of entrepreneurs. During National Entrepreneurship Month, I want to share with you what the Chamber is doing to ensure that L.A. builds on its fastest growing entrepreneurial sector: technology. Five years ago, there were few outside of […]
State Money Count Will Likely Doom Redevelopment, Housing Revival
Leave it to government to convolute and stupefy something as simple as basic arithmetic. Yet, stupefying is how a reasonable person could describe a system that’s been used by Sacramento for years to account for the ebb and flow of state revenues into and out of the state treasury. Indeed, this “new math” has led […]