"It would be nice to see leaders act in the best interest of our country, not in the best interest of the election cycle."
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Congressman Mike Garcia
VICA Leaders Forum
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Media Mentions
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Bisnow
October 11
SFVBJ
October 12
SFVBJ
October 12
Fox & Hounds
October 15
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On Tuesday, VICA hosted a Virtual Leaders Forum where we welcomed Congressman Mike Garcia. The event started out with a networking session, which proved to be a great opportunity for VICA members to catch up and build relationships even while we are still virtual!
During the program, Congressman Mike Garcia provided updates on relief bills in Congress, as well as politics at the national level. VICA Chair Brad Rosenheim (Rosenheim & Associates) led a Q&A session where VICA members asked questions on issues that impact their businesses and industries. Many concerns came up about how the government is handling PPP for small businesses, specific industry rehabilitation, and stimulus packages. In response to these questions, Congressman Garcia stated that they are working on ensuring a healthy improvement of the economy. He said that, "There is a delicate balance between making sure we are helping small businesses keep employees on the payroll, [. . .] taking care of employees that simply cannot work right now because of the COVID lockdown, [and] making sure that we're not incentivizing people to stay home when they should be going back to work."
VICA is proud to have provided another insightful event for our members! A big thank you to our presenting sponsor, the Southern California Gas Company, as well as our co-sponsors, California Resources Corp. and Van Nuys Airport, for making our Leaders Forum with Congressman Mike Garcia possible.
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VICA opposes Measure RC, which will create a housing commission with zero oversight and will expand rent control, costing the City of Burbank millions.
Measure RC fails to reflect the affordable housing needs of the Burbank community, and offers no real solutions to problems that the community faces. Further, it may cost Burbank $6 million, taking away from existing Burbank services and programs that serve residents, seniors, and families in the community. With the city already facing a $20 million pandemic deficit, imposing Measure RC would discourage development of much needed affordable housing and place additional burdens on small businesses and residents.
The Burbank Landlord-Tenant Commission this measure would create would be a bureaucracy without oversight or accountability. With unchecked authority to set its own budget and salaries, establish landlord fees, hire outside attorneys, initiate lawsuits, and issues subpoenas, the Commission is an unfair drain of the Burbank community's resources.
Burbank is already protected by statewide rent control. Measure RC is unnecessary, and creates an unaccountable Commission that uses tax dollars to promote its own agenda.
Vote NO on Measure RC.
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Thursday, November 12, 2020
5:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Don't miss our State Officeholders Dinner, a unique opportunity to engage with state officeholders in a casual Q&A format, right from your home. A Remo virtual login will be provided prior to the event. VICA will also be providing dinner, wine, and a swag box to those who register by the early bird date - October 23!
(Dinner will be provided via a DoorDash gift card code.)
Confirmed Speakers Include:
Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis
State Controller Betty T. Yee
Board of Equalization Member Ted Gaines
Senator Ben Allen
Senator María Elena Durazo
Senator Bob Hertzberg
Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula
Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath
Assemblymember Rob Bonta
Assemblymember Laura Friedman
Assemblymember Chris Holden
Assemblymember Tom Lackey
Assemblymember Evan Low
Assemblymember Devon Mathis
Assemblymember Luz Rivas
Assemblymember Miguel Santiago
Assemblymember Phil Ting
$300 - Individual Ticket
$250 - Early Bird, Before 10/23/20
Exclusively for VICA Members and their guests only!
If you want wine and a swag box, guest details must be provided to VICA by 10/23/20.
No refunds after 10/30/20.
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After working in State and local government for fifteen years, David Gershwin as President and CEO opened his own public affairs firm, David Gershwin Consulting, in 2010. They specialize in providing advocacy and communications services to a wide range of private companies, public agencies and non-profit organizations. When he needs a break from politics and public policy, you can find him riding his Fuji Sagres on the Chandler Bike Path, photographing scenic landscapes throughout the Los Angeles area, or cheering on the Dodgers to a long-overdue World Series title.
When asked a few questions about VICA and his experiences he shared these thoughts with us:
- Tell us about your experience with VICA, how has VICA been valuable for you?
- Being a member of VICA is rewarding on so many levels. The aspect of VICA I value most is being able to talk shop with other VICA members during our networking events. I especially enjoy sharing notes with other small business owners, even if it's a business wildly different from my own. Just learning about other businesses' experiences, how they meet challenges, and how they've found solutions to those challenges is absolutely fascinating to me. Additionally, as chair of VICA's Government Affairs Committee, I know how much my co-chairs and fellow committee members are dedicated to delving into tough policy issues and weighing in on legislation at the local, State, and federal levels so the Valley's business community continues to thrive. At our last meeting, our committee took up seven different ballot measures -- and that was just one meeting!
- If you were to tell a peer or friend about VICA, what would be your sales pitch?
- Here's what I'd tell someone thinking about joining VICA: I can think of no other business organization where you get more "bang" for your membership buck, both from a networking and an advocacy perspective. Additionally, VICA's staff is incredibly dedicated to serving its entire membership, whether you're a small business or a Fortune 500 company. That dedication is even more important today as we all are continuing to move forward and navigate the regional business climate during this global pandemic. Buying stock doesn't guarantee you'll get dividends, but buying a VICA membership certainly does.
- What is your favorite experience or memory with VICA?
- My favorite memories are of VICA's Annual State Officeholders Dinner: live, in-person, and pre-pandemic. For the past number of years, it's been held at Universal Studios. You just know you're going to have fun at a theme park! But what makes it extra special is the "off-the-record" trivia games. The questions -- and the hilarious answers! -- give our elected officials the chance to let their hair down a bit, away from the State Capitol bubble.
- How has your company made commitments or adjustments to support employees and/or the community during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- Early in the pandemic, I worked with one of my clients to partner with L.A. City government, L.A. County government, and non-profit organizations to help provide meal delivery service to people in need. To see that type of public-private partnership is a vivid reminder that all San Fernando Valley businesses provide needed services to the community-at-large.
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Land Use Committee (10/13)
Sponsored by The Garland
- Lisa Webber, Deputy Director of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, presented on how the planning department has adapted to the challenges presented by COVID-19 and improvements to the approval process.
- Mark Davis, President and CEO of Sun Hill Properties/Hilton Universal City, presented on the Hilton Universal Expansion Project.
- The committee discussed 2021 Legislative Priorities, as well as proposals introduced by the City Council to change the land use and entitlement process.
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Member Messages:
Get Your Message in VICA Weekly!
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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 [email protected] or
call (818) 817-0545.
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