June 7, 2019

In This Issue
"The first two years are pretty solid. "
-  LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner, on the district's budget projections following the defeat of Measure EE
Media Mentions

Why LA is Voting on Measure EE, the Tax to Support LAUSD
June 3

Measure EE: What You Need to Know About the LAUSD Parcel Tax
June 3

Green New Deal: What's the Cost
Fox & Hounds
June 4

Parcel Tax for LA Schools is Latest Ask of Taxpayers
LA Times
June 4

Voters to Head to Special Election Polls and Decide on Measure EE, Property Tax for LA Schools
Los Angeles Daily News
June 4

Los Angeles Voters Roundly Defeat $500M Annual Parcel Tax, Leaving Nation's Second-Largest School District on Shaky Financial Footing
The74
June 5

Los Angeles Voters Roundly Defeat Parcel Tax, Leaving LAUSD on Shaky Financial Footing
LA School Report
June 5

Measure EE's Defeat Pleases VICA
San Fernando Valley Business Journal
June 5

A Political Disaster: How Measure EE, LA Schools Tax Hike, Failed so Badly
LA Times
June 5

LA School Tax Measure Defeated, in Blow to Garcetti and Beutner
LA Times
June 5

Failure of LA School Tax Measure Could Put Resources and Alliances to the Test
LA Times
June 6

With an LA City Council Election on Ballot, San Fernando Valley Voters Played Outsized Role in Measure EE Defeat
Los Angeles Daily News
June 6



Members

VICA Thanks Our Renewing Members
____________________

SILVER MEMBER
(1998)

__________________

Bunim Murray Productions
(2017)

Emerson & Associates
(2012)

LBW Insurance and Financial Services
(2007)

Phillips Graduate Institute
(2017)

__________________

VICA Welcomes New Member
__________________

Armorcast Products Company

 
Calendar

The Week Ahead

Land Use Committee
Hosted by The Garland
Tuesday, June 11
8:00 to 10:00 a.m.
The Garland
4222 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood
Click here to RSVP

After Dark with LA City Councilmember Paul Koretz
Tuesday, June 11
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Buca di Beppo
17500 Ventura Blvd., Encino
Click here to RSVP

VICA University Harassment & Discrimination Training
Led by Gaspar Insurance Services
Wednesday, June 12
8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
VICA Office
16600 Sherman Way, Suite 170, Van Nuys
Click here to RSVP

Healthcare Committee
Hosted by Valley Presbyterian Hospital
Thursday, June 13
12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Valley Presbyterian Hospital
15107 Vanowen St., Van Nuys
Click here to RSVP

International Trade Committee Port Tour
Hosted by Port of Los Angeles
Thursday, June 13
12:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Port of Los Angeles
Click here to RSVP

Save the Date

VICA Sacramento Advocacy Day
Tuesday, June 18
Sacramento, CA
Click here to RSVP

Government Affairs Committee
Hosted by Penny Lane Centers
Wednesday, June 19
8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Penny Lane Centers
15314 Rayen Street, North Hills
Click here to RSVP

VICA 2019 San Fernando Valley Business Hall of Fame Dinner
Thursday, June 20
5:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Sheraton Universal Hotel
333 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City
Click here to RSVP


Hot Issues 
Housing
A strong majority of Californians want the state to force local governments to allow apartments in single-family-home neighborhoods near transit and jobs. 62% of adults surveyed were in favor of VICA-sponsored SB 50, which would have required cities and counties to permit apartment construction in communities that now comprise only single-family homes if they're near rail stations or clusters of jobs.

Jobs
According to a new UCLA economic forecast, California's low unemployment rate should persist through the next two years. However, the state's generation of new jobs will likely slow down as the number of people left to be employed dwindles.

Wildfires
According to a new study, the federal government is not doing enough to control the threat of wildfires in western states. The use of controlled burns, which successfully clears brush and reduces the risk of catastrophic fires, has declined over the last 20 years.

Homelessness
Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Joe Buscaino asked City Attorney Mike Feuer to explore legal steps that Los Angeles could use to compel neighboring cities to stop pushing homeless people into Los Angeles city boundaries.

Earthquakes
Despite wide adoption in Japan and in Europe, a  new innovation, known as base isolation, to reduce earthquake damage to buildings have only been adopted sparingly in the United States. Seismic safety advocates describe this as a missed opportunity to save billions of dollars in reconstruction costs after a major quake. 

LAUSD Finds Budget Savings in Administrative, Healthcare Costs: VICA Urges LAUSD, Mayor to Work with Business Community Partners Moving Forward
Following the voters' overwhelming rejection of VICA-opposed Measure EE on Tuesday, VICA President Stuart Waldman reaffirmed VICA's commitment to working with LAUSD to implement a meaningful plan for reform. Measure EE, a $500 million per year property tax increase, lacked any robust accountability or oversight, and was rushed onto the June ballot in spite of VICA and other business groups pleading with LAUSD to reconsider the poorly-drafted measure. Following voters' rejection of the tax increase, LAUSD proposed nearly $100 million in savings through cuts to administrative overhead and consolidating retirees' health plans. Waldman reached out to Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner to affirm VICA's commitment to work with the district to address the district's structural deficit and improve the only thing that truly matters: the quality of education for our kids.

Email elizabeth@vica.com for more information



LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Buca di Beppo
17500 Ventura Blvd.,
Encino

Councilmember Paul Koretz

Join VICA for our upcoming After Dark, featuring Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz. Attendees enjoy hosted drinks and appetizers as they meet and interact with other prominent business leaders from the community.  VICA After Darks are complimentary to VICA members.

Sponsorships are still available - email Jessica@vica.com or call the 
VICA Office at (818) 817-0545

Non-members who are interested in attending are encouraged to contact Cathy @vica.com.

Click here to register
Support Expanded Access to Subsidized Child Care Services
VICA supports a package of bills to expand access to early child care for California parents. By increasing professional support stipends, providing grants to expand child care facilities, reducing lapses in services, and standardizing the state's reimbursement rate for child care providers, these bills will increase access to child care for California's neediest families. 
  • AB 125 (McCarty) and SB 174 (Leyva) would streamline the reimbursement system to compensate child care programs for the cost of care while taking into account the economic diversity of different regions of the state. 
  • AB 324 (Aguiar-Curry) would increase the number of professional development stipends available to child care workers. Doing so would allow them to pursue educational and professional development opportunities, resulting in a better trained workforce. 
  • AB 452 (Mullin) would create a grant program to help fund the expansion and construction of child care facilities across California, enabling the state to open up new subsidized child care slots. 
  • SB 321 (Mitchell) would ensure that families experience no lapses in child care services when transitioning through the CalWORKs program, allowing parents to remain in the workforce knowing that their children are in a safe learning environment. 
 


REQUIRED BY LAW
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER
Harassment and Discrimination Training

VICA invites you and your work team to join the  Gaspar Insurance Services Harassment & Discrimination Training at the VICA office. 

Gaspar Insurance Services is offering  VICA Members a SPECIAL offer of $25/attendee.
  • By January 1, 2020 an employer having five or more employees shall provide at least two hours of classroom or other effective interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all supervisory employees. They must also provide at least one hour of classroom or other effective interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all non-supervisory employees in California within six months of their assumption of a position.
  • This training must be provided once every two years, and it must be provided by qualified trainers (attorneys admitted for more than two years, Human Resources Professionals with 2 or more years of practical work experience, professors and instructors who have a post-graduate degree or a California teaching credential).
Wednesday, June 12th
(Space is limited) 

8:30 - 10:30 a.m. 
VICA Office
16600 Sherman Way, Suite 170, 
Van Nuys

VICA University Workshop led by:


E-mail Cathy@vica.com to register
Support Critical Funding for Higher Education in California
VICA supports Senate Bill 14 (Glazer/Allen), which would place an $8 billion general obligation bond on the March 2020 ballot for the construction, reconstruction, and remodeling of existing or new facilities at the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and the Hastings College of the Law.  Our state's economic prosperity relies on a higher education system that keep pace with California's growth. A strong public higher education system is crucial to maintain a competitive workforce capable of competing in the marketplace. Maintaining assets and infrastructure, modernizing buildings, and expanding student capacity are all necessary to improve student success and to create a well-prepared workforce for the future.

Click here to send a letter supporting SB 14.


LAST TRIP OF 2019 
Tuesday, June 18th
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER

VICA's regular advocacy trips to the state capitol are crucial to ensuring the voice of the business community is heard by legislators. Join us for our second trip of 2019. 

These member-only trips allow direct interaction with state elected officials and create the freedom for discussion on issues that are vital to our members. This is the last advocacy trip of 2019, don't miss this opportunity to be heard on how legislation affects your business.
 
Click here to RSVP



Tuesday, July 16, 2019
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Airtel Plaza Hotel
7277 Valjean Ave.,
Van Nuys

Assemblymember Christy Smith

Join VICA for our upcoming After Dark, featuring California State Assemblymember Christy Smith. Attendees enjoy hosted drinks and appetizers as they meet and interact with other prominent business leaders from the community.  VICA After Darks are complimentary to VICA members.

Sponsorships are still available - email Jessica@vica.com or call the 
VICA Office at (818) 817-0545

Non-members who are interested in attending are encouraged to contact Cathy @vica.com.

Click here to register
Spotlight on VICA Committee Leadership
Jeff Daar is a principal at the law firm of Daar & Newman and chair of VICA's International Trade Committee. Daar has practiced law for over 36 years and works closely with lawyers in more than 30 countries. Daar has served on the Board of Airport Commissioners for Los Angeles World Airports and has been a Los Angeles City Commissioner for more than 15 years. Daar also served for more than 10 years as the Chair of the Los Angeles Rent Adjustment Commission. 

Why is VICA valuable to you or your business?
VICA provides numerous opportunities to connect with other prominent business leaders interested in the development of the Greater San Fernando Valley area. 

Why should members consider becoming more involved with the International Trade Committee?
VICA's International Trade Committee promotes international trade in the region. Meetings always include leading speakers on international trade and affairs and provides resources to businesses engaged or interested in exporting or importing goods. We frequently have Consul Generals of other countries as our featured speaker.  Recent guest speakers have included the Consul Generals of Canada, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Germany and China.  

VICA's International Trade Committee Port Tour will be held on June 13.
Click here to RSVP.

Click here to learn more about VICA's Policy Committees
VICA is Hiring!
VICA is currently looking for two individuals to join our dynamic team. The two positions are:

Membership Manager: VICA is looking for a Membership Manager to help recruit new members, retain existing members, sell sponsorships and advertising and develop a strong membership program and ambassador committee. This is an excellent opportunity for a dedicated professional who wants to facilitate participation and networking in the most influential business community in the Valley. 

Legislative Affairs Associate: VICA is looking for a Legislative Affairs Associate to support the legislative affairs team's advocacy efforts for business at the local, state, and federal level. This is an excellent opportunity for a recent graduate to work in a fast-paced environment on a wide range of policy issues, with opportunities to learn, grow, and gain valuable networks and experience.

If you or anyone you know would like to work for the most influential business group in the Valley, email a resume and cover letter to  Jessica@vica.com  

Click here to view the job descriptions.
Committee Report

Manufacturing Committee (6/4)
  • The Manufacturing committee heard an update from Jennings Imel (United States Chamber of Commerce) about the United States - Mexico - Canada Agreement and the impacts of new tariffs on businesses.
  • Ricardo Vazquez from the Office of Mayor Garcetti gave a presentation on manufacturing in the City of Los Angeles.
  • The committee recommended to support Assembly Bill 1248 (Garcia).
Aviation Committee (6/5)
Hosted by Aeroplex Aerolease 
  • The new regional administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration, Raquel Girvin introduced herself to the Aviation Committee and gave an update on what is happening at the FAA. 
  • Hollywood Burbank Airport Deputy Director for Planning and Development, Patrick Lammerding, gave an update on the replacement terminal project at the Burbank Airport.
  • Flora Margheritis, Airport Manager for the Van Nuys Airport, gave an update on the Van Nuys Airport
Entertainment Committee (6/6)
Sponsored by Pacific Federal
  • The committee heard a presentation from Marc Kolin, Vice President & CFO at Activision Blizzard, on the E-Sports Arena and league. 
  • The committee discussed the issue of incentivizing productions to relocate to California and recommended to support Assembly Bill 1442 (Rivas) if amended. 


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.