Valley Industry & Commerce Association | |
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- Election Day Ballot Measure Rundown
- VICA PAC 2022 Endorsements
- Powerful and Effective Advocacy Isn't Cheap
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"Our homelessness crisis is at a breaking point. LA County has problems with implementation and responsibility - not a lack of resources. We can create solutions that get folks off the streets through county-wide collaboration. I will own that responsibility as Supervisor." | |
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State Senator Bob Hertzberg
Statement on Plans to Address Homeless in LA County
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Election Day on November 8th, Vote! | |
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By now, most Californians have received their mail-in ballots and Election Day is around the corner, making it time for many Angelenos to make decisions on numerous statewide races, including local and state ballot measures.
Luckily, our VICA Board has taken positions on several of these measures and is proud to showcase our VICA PAC Voter Guide to help our members, business leaders, and community residents create a more prosperous San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles communities.
Remember to send in your mail-in ballot or vote in-person on November 8th. Elections matters, voting matter, and your voice matters.
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VICA PAC 2022 Voter Guide | |
For the full 2022 Voter Guide, click the button below! | |
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The VICA Board opposes Proposition 26, which would legalize, regulate, and tax new gaming operations on tribal casinos and racetracks and opposes Proposition 27, which would allow online and mobile sports wagering to occur within California through changes to the State Constitution.
Proposition 26 would enforce gambling laws and expand the Private Attorney General Act (PAGA), allowing people and entities to file civil suits against cardrooms for pretty much any reason, risking the closure of sources of revenue for local municipalities.
Proposition 27 would require companies and tribes to make 10% payments of all sports bets to fund state efforts to address homelessness and provide services. Prop 27 would legalize the most significant expansion of gambling but lacks critical safeguards to prevent underage gambling, with 90% of profits going to out-of-state entities.
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The VICA Board opposes Proposition 29, which would require chronic dialysis clinics to have at least one licensed physician on-site during all patient treatment hours. Prop 29 would also require clinics to regularly report to the California Department of Public Health; failure to report the required information would result in penalties up to $100,000.
This Proposition is the third ballot measure since 2018 sponsored by SEIU-UHW targeting dialysis providers. The past two propositions were rejected by voters.
California’s approximately 600 dialysis clinics already face a shortage of licensed physicians, specifically nephrologists. As a result, this requirement would spread the amount of these specialists thin. Not only would this mean less physicians available to care for patients, but forcing a physician to take up a strictly bureaucratic role would also mean higher healthcare costs for both the provider and the patient.
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The VICA board opposes Proposition 30, a 2022 state-wide ballot measure that would impose a new state income tax of 1.275% on income over $2 million that would be used to fund programs, including increased infrastructure investments in vehicle charging stations.
Though marketed as a clean air initiative, Prop 30 has been almost entirely funded by Lyft, a single corporation that is spending millions of dollars on the proposition's campaign. This past year, the California Air Resources Board passed a rule requiring all ride-share companies to use zero-emission vehicles to drive 90% of their miles by 2030. Prop 30 is an attempt made by one of those companies - Lyft - to get taxpayers to foot the bill for this transition to electric vehicles.
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The VICA Board opposes LA City Measures ULA and SP as these measures will increase the cost of living and property taxes for city residents.
Measure ULA would implement a transfer tax of 4% for properties valued above $5 million and a 5.5% tax on properties valued over $10 million. In addition, ULA would create a new layer of governmental bureaucracy with the Citizens Oversight Committee. As a result, tenant Councils could end up costing taxpayers as much as $70 million yearly in new administrative and overhead costs and would increase the average charge for a unit set at $600,000 while raising prices for everyday Angelenos.
Measure SP places a city parcel tax of $0.08414 per square foot on all improved or restored properties to replace Proposition K, a county measure passed in 1996 that will expire in 2026. SP would raise property taxes on every renter, homeowner, and small business in Los Angeles and would cost a family of four to pay an additional $168 per year in property taxes. This measure would significantly hurt LA's disadvantaged communities and low-income seniors who depend on housing and income stability. Measure SP's tax increase is being proposed despite the reality that Angelenos already pay for new parks through current existing measures.
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The VICA Board proudly supports Measure LA, a $5.3 billion bond measure that invests in the educational future of residents served by the country's largest community college district.
Measure LA would provide funding to renovate and modernize facilities, including athletic spaces and educational buildings, and develop infrastructure, including upgrades in technology and promoting campus sustainability.
Measure LA would require voter approval above 55% and would provide funding for a list of projects that have been backlogged, such as upgrades to building safety requirements, new power, water, and sewer infrastructure, as well as addressing district goals like achieving carbon-free energy consumption by 2040.
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VICA Opposes LA City Plastic Bag Ban Motion | |
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VICA voiced opposition at Thursday's LA City Council Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and River Committee to a potential ban on certain expanded polystyrene products (EPS), including plastic bags.
The ordinance would require Los Angeles to prohibit the sale or distribution of plastic or styrofoam bags and containers, food or beverages in EPS, and shipping or packaging materials containing EPS.
This Ordinance would apply to various food and beverage facilities and retail establishments, including shops, sales outlets, restaurants, bars, pubs, coffee shops/stands, juice/smoothie bars, cafeterias, caterers, convenience, liquor, and grocery stores, supermarkets, farmers markets, theaters, mobile food trucks, kiosks, carts, and street vendors, leaving no business untouched in the City.
Similar attempts were made in 2010 and 2013 to reduce litter and promote reusable bags, with the City banning single-use plastic and paper carryout bags at drug stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, grocery stores, and other specified retailers.
VICA supports the advancement and progress needed to address sustainability and environmental protection however this ordinance could lead to negative economic impacts, including decreased sales in ban areas, reduced employment opportunities for residents, and increased costs on businesses which will pass down those costs to consumers, quickly adding up costs for individuals and families and small businesses.
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Powerful and Effective Advocacy Isn't Cheap | |
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As Southern California’s most influential business advocacy group, VICA is devoted to advancing the economic interests and opportunities of its members through effective legislative correspondence, civic leadership representation and conscious community engagement. This work has a cost, and the time has come to increase dues so that VICA’s critical advocacy can continue.
We understand that increased rates are not ideal. With that in mind, if you would like to keep your 2022 level dues for one more year, you can if you pay your dues in full by December 31, 2022. If you would like to take advantage of the 2022 rates, contact jessica@vica.com today.
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Membership Level
Basic Membership:
Circle if Influence:
Business Leader:
Bronze:
Silver:
Gold:
Platinum:
Premier:
President:
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2022 Rate
$660
$1,1210
$1,760
$2,750
$5,500
$8,250
$11,000
$16,000
$26,000+
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2023 Rate
$750
$1,300
$1,850
$3,000
$6,000
$9,000
$12,000
$17,000
$27,000+
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VICA Thanks Our Renewing Members! | | |
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Silver Member:
Bronze Member:
New Members:
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VICA's 73rd Annual Meeting
Friday, December 9 | 11:30 AM
Sheraton Universal City
VICA concludes every successful year with a celebratory program for its members, volunteers, and business leaders from the Valley. VICA members will elect a new Board and Executive Committee for 2023 from a diverse set of businesses, organizations and industries.
VICA thanks our Presenting Sponsors San Fernando Valley Business Journal and SoCalGas.
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Transportation Committee Meeting
Tuesday, November 8
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Hosted by The Garland
RSVP
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Energy, Environment, Manufacturing & Utilities Committee Meeting
Wednesday, November 9
Noon - 1:30 PM
VICA Office
Sponsored by Metropolitan Water District
RSVP
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Sports, Entertainment, Tourism, Hospitality Committee Meeting
Thursday December 1st
8:30 - 10:30 AM
VICA Office
Sponsored by History for Hire
RSVP
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Healthcare Committee Meeting
Thursday, December 8th
Noon - 1:30 PM
VICA Office
Sponsored by Hospital Association of Southern California
RSVP
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Los Angeles Business Journal | October 31
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Biden Threatens Oil Windfall Tax
Biden threatened to seek a new windfall profits tax on major oil and gas companies unless they ramp up production to curb the price of gasoline at the pump, an escalation of his battle with the energy industry just a week before the midterm elections. The President lashed out against the gas firms as several reported surges in profits, which he called an "outrageous" bonanza stemming from Russia's war on Ukraine. He warned them to use the money to expand oil supplies or return it to consumers through price reductions. The five biggest oil companies generated more than $50 billion in profits for the second quarter. The IEA reported the total net income of the world's oil producers will increase to $4 trillion.
Food Prices and Company Profits Soar
Amid growing concerns that the economy could be headed for a recession, some food companies and restaurants continue raising prices even if their own inflation-driven costs have been covered. Critics say the moves are about increasing profits, not covering expenses. Food companies and restaurants have been able to raise prices because most consumers, annoyed, have been willing to pay. But there are plenty of shoppers who say the higher prices have led to changes in routine. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has seen grocery prices increase by 13% and restaurants increase by 8.5%.
Saudi Oil Giant Reports $42B in Profits
Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, earned $42.4 billion in net income in the third quarter. The figure was more than double the nearly $20 billion that Exxon Mobil earned for the period. It also enabled Saudi Aramco, which is state-controlled and has a near-monopoly on Saudi Arabia's oil output, to pay a hefty dividend to the country's government. To bolster prices, Saudi Arabia and Russia, as leaders of the OPEC Plus cartel, announced a cut in oil production amounting to about 2% of global output. The move angered the Biden administration, pushing oil producers, including those in the U.S., to ramp up output to lower gasoline prices for consumers.
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Alcohol Claims Lives of Working Adults
According to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated one in eight deaths of Americans ages 20 to 64 in the years 2015 to 2019 were the result of injuries or illness caused by excessive alcohol use. The study published in the JAMA Network Open journal assessed the effects of alcohol on people of working age, who accounted for nearly two-thirds of the country's annual average of 140,000 alcohol-related deaths. Among those ages 20 to 39, one in five deaths was attributable to drinking; for those ages 20 to 34, it was one in four. Alcohol is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, but it is often overshadowed by tobacco or opiates.
Brazil Re-elects Lula Da Silva
Voters in Brazil ousted President Jair Bolsonaro after one term and re-elected former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to replace him, a rebuke of Bolsonaro's far-right movement. The victory completed a political revival for da Silva, who won with the narrowest margin for the same period, with 50.9% of the vote, compared to Bolsonaro's 49.1%. Da Silva's victory pushed Brazil back to the left, extending a string of victories across Latin America fueled by a wave of anti-incumbent backlash. Six of the region's seven largest countries have now elected leftist leaders since 2018.
OC declares RSV Health Emergency
The rapid spread of the viral infection has pushed hospitalizations, and daily emergency room visits to record levels in Orange County, prompting officials to declare a health emergency. The county is facing continued circulation of the coronavirus, seasonal rise of the flu, and RSV, a respiratory illness that can be dangerous for small children. Premature infants, babies with underlying cardiac diseases, or chronic lung problems are at higher risk, as are the elderly. Officials in Los Angeles County have noted that RSV and the flu are much more active than they were this time last year, a development some worry could foreshadow a challenging season.
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Rowena Altaha
C2PM President
Incorporated in 2002, C2PM is a construction/consulting firm with 24 years of experience with Public Works Infrastructure projects, including Airports and Aviation, Automated People Mover (APM), Light Rail and Transit Tunnels (LRT), Rail and Rail Yards, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Intermodal Transit Stations, Roadways and Highways, Bridges and Structures, Tunnels and Viaducts, Ports and Maritime, Water and Wastewater, Earth Dams, Environmental Services, and Federal.
C2PM’s projects delivery experience includes Design-Bid-Build and Alternative Delivery Methods, including Private Public Partnership (P3), Design-Build (D-B), Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC), Construction Management at Risk (CMAR), and Progressive Design-Build (PDB).
C2PM provides clients with professional engineering expertise in program, project, and construction management, engineering, project controls, environmental compliance, and inspection. C2PM offers unrivaled commitment and flexibility to meet the needs of our clients.
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Member Messages
Get Your Message in VICA Weekly!
VICA members can promote their business, events and news in VICA Weekly. Member messages are available for $50 per week or $175 for four weeks. Messages are text-based and may not contain more than 70 words. A logo may be added for an additional $5 per week. For more information or to schedule your member message, contact cathy@vica.com or call (818) 817-0545.
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ABOUT VICA
Presenting the business perspective on behalf of employers in the
San Fernando Valley cities of Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Calabasas,
Hidden Hills, San Fernando and Santa Clarita.
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