A Modest Proposal
As we make our way through the holidays, it’s become clear to me that there’s a problem our elected officials need to solve. Food is one of our fundamental needs, as core to our survival as water, shelter and warmth. It only makes sense that as a society, we should regulate it: to make sure […]
Whose Money Is It, Anyway?
Like any business-minded voter, I weigh each ballot proposition carefully to decide whether the benefit will outweigh any burden. As the leader of a business association, I can advocate and explain how each measure will impact jobs in the San Fernando Valley. Across the whole country, stakeholder groups can join together and exercise their First […]
A Real Impact From Business Voters
When most people think about voting, they think that their vote for president is the most important vote they can give. Let me tell you: those people are wrong. In California, your vote for president doesn’t mean a whole lot. But your vote in this year’s election is even more important than your vote in […]
A New Roadblock for the Economy and the Environment
California is one of the most environmentally progressive states in the country. Too often, though, our elected officials have tried to achieve environmental progress through policies that come at the expense of California businesses, especially those that create manufacturing jobs. As any business leader in Southern California can tell you, we spend a lot of […]
Ballot Measures Are Coming. Pay Attention
I once saw a T-shirt that proudly declared, “I put the ‘pro’ in procrastination.” Though most of us won’t admit it, it’s human nature to put off tasks that we don’t really want to do. We all know that “later” always comes sooner than expected. But this election year, the business community can’t afford to […]
The Big Query for Our Next Governor
Next week, California will take the first step in choosing its next governor. Lots of fancy promises have been made – our next governor is going to expand all kinds of popular programs which will make California greener, better educated and more connected. I’m not against any of those goals, laudable as they are. I […]
Back to the Future in the San Fernando Valley
Imagine, if you will, being able to ride a rail line on Van Nuys Boulevard in the northeast San Fernando Valley to the West Valley along Sherman Way and across the Cahuenga Pass to downtown Los Angeles. No, I’m not talking about the distant future, but rather the recent past. The year was 1911, the […]
Revive Redevelopment Agencies
As I was driving home the other day through Van Nuys, I passed an abandoned vacant lot. You see these around the San Fernando Valley pretty often, and every time I see one, I think through the possibilities for this unused land. The Valley could benefit from the revitalization of these abandoned lots – new […]
Infrastructure Plan a Mixed Bag
California Congressional Republicans have gotten themselves into a bit of a pickle. They’ve invested huge amounts of time, money and political capital into an effort to repeal SB 1, the so-called ‘gas tax’ which will allow California to finally fix our roads. Our economy is dependent on our transportation infrastructure, and updating these taxes and […]
Shooting Our Own Eye Out—Too Much Regulation
I was watching “A Christmas Story” with my kids recently, and it rang a little too true. You will recall that our hero, Ralphie, really, really wants a Red Ryder BB gun – and when he gets it, he nearly shoots his own eye out. All kids have this experience to some extent. Happily, my […]