The LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce “Policy Pillars” is a living document that will continue to evolve and change. These positions are designed to set a framework when making decisions on policy, but are to be weighed with the inevitable changes of our community and business climate.
These positions were accepted in accordance with a vote by the board of directors on January 17, 2013.
The Chamber endorses tax policies that would enhance the competitiveness of our local businesses, such as the business tax reforms that would make the City more comparable to surrounding cities so that our businesses are not put at an economic disadvantage and allowing for further business development and worker retention.
The Chamber supports policies that aim to help the tourism and hospitality industry recover and grow. Pre-Covid, this industry was booming with more than 50 million visitors and over $36 billion generated to boost the Los Angeles economy. The Chamber recognizes the industry’s importance to our region to create jobs and generate much needed revenue for the local economy.
The Chamber believes that our nation’s youth must be prepared to bring knowledge and skills to solve problems, make sense of information, and know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions. We support STEAM education that focuses on skills that students develop in science, technology, engineering, art, and math. We believe in educational reforms that would bring increased community engagement, promote autonomy, entrepreneurship, and create a school system that fulfills the needs of employers for a highly skilled, 21st century workforce capable of competing in a global economy with an emphasis on expanding opportunities for at-risk and underserved populations. We believe in education as a choice for parents and students and support all schools.
The Chamber considers safety to be a top priority and supports increasing the size and presence of our police, sheriffs, and fire departments for an increase in response times and a further decrease in the crime level. In this regard, the Chamber believes that existing policies need to be examined for their long-term impacts and to assure a minimum level of police patrol car presence in our community. We also believe in the importance of community-based policing in our neighborhoods and business districts.
The Chamber supports all LAX modernization efforts and its related improvements that enhance the overall aviation, passenger and community experience. These improvements include those for critical infrastructure to accommodate international and domestic aviation growth including terminals, landside improvements and multi-modal transportation options that reduce traffic congestion in and around the airport, and airfield projects that enhance safety and reduce aircraft emissions. We support efforts that focus on security, health and safety, sustainability and social responsibility that continue to show commitment to the community, passengers, and the people helping to build a world class airport. The Chamber is opposed to plans which would cause greater noise impact on our communities including any plan to relocate runways northward.
The Chamber supports policies that encourage smart growth planning that is transit-oriented for the appropriate placement of development, without displacing existing residential, commercial and industrial land uses that are significant to preservation of a healthy and appropriately designed jobs-housing balance. We advocate for policies and programs that create sustainable, economically robust communities through smart growth planning, public-private partnerships and investment in congestion relief solutions. This also includes a special focus on building more workforce housing, reforming the city’s planning and permitting process, strengthening our public transportation system and addressing L.A. County’s homelessness crisis.
The Chamber believes that as the nation’s top gateway and the area with the most automobiles per capita, the region cannot afford to continue ignoring the effect that traffic congestion is having on our economy and quality of life. The Chamber advocates for federal, state and local policies and programs that provide system-wide regional solutions. We support policies that improve mobility and relieve congestion on our roads and freeways to maximize the region’s ability to move people and goods.
The Chamber supports efforts to reduce our county’s dependence on fossil fuels, while at the same time moving toward renewable forms of energy. We support recycling, conservation and green development, including the efforts of developers to earn LEED certifications and Envision Sustainability Professional certifications for all new construction. The Chamber supports the efforts to convert trash into clean, renewable energy, alternative fuels and other useful products. The Chamber is also aware that it is critical for business attraction and retention to improve our existing infrastructure and find new, reliable sources for natural gas, water and other resources critical to the sustained growth of our community and economy. We are focused on advancing cost-effective policies and programs that ensure the reliable and affordable water and energy delivery, improved air quality and promote economic growth in Los Angeles through local development of technologies, businesses and jobs. The Chamber supports energy as a choice for consumers and opposes any forced electrification mandates.
The Chamber supports a positive environment in which businesses in our local area, city, region and state can continue to flourish and remain competitive. In addition to supporting its Economic Growth Policy Pillar, the Chamber supports sensible changes in state labor laws and regulations aimed at making the workplace easier to administer and changes in tax policy that keep businesses competitive. We support local efforts to implement roadway improvements, infrastructure projects and other construction in a way that impacts the fewest businesses as possible. We advocate for revisions to the state’s workers’ compensation system to bring balance and fairness to what has become a contentious system.
The Chamber supports reasonable redevelopment of unincorporated Marina del Rey that is articulated by the certified Local Coastal Program, which establishes the appropriate mix of recreational boating facilities, residential units, visitor-serving facilities, office and commercial space, and open space. The Chamber supports redevelopment projects that serve to revitalize Marina del Rey according to the vision and standards of the certified LCP. The Chamber recognizes that Marina del Rey, which requires a mix of new and renovated improvements, is a vital tourist destination as well as recreational resource for the citizens of Los Angeles County. The Chamber supports redevelopment projects that provide needed new housing, improve the recreational and visitor-serving purposes, promote greater pedestrian access throughout the Marina, and advance boating opportunities, including the development of dry stack storage.
