While the Valley Industry and Commerce Association spends most of the year asking for more from our political leaders – and deservedly so – decorum for Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season challenges everyone to recognize what they have and be grateful for our blessings and good fortune. With that in mind, and the spirit of charity and kindness in our hearts, we write to thank our leaders at the local, state and federal level, as well as our members and partners who have advocated alongside us, for a few of the highlights from the last 12 months. First of all, the culmination of several years’ worth of advocacy, coalition building and cooperation from myriad community groups resulted in the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments, an influential group of leaders from throughout Los Angeles County, agreeing with Valley on Track about the priorities for the future of the Valley’s transportation needs. This is a major accomplishment by Valley on Track, which was organized by VICA and dedicated to making sure the Valley gets its fair share in any proposed sales tax ballot measure to address transportation needs. We are expecting such a ballot measure next November from Metro. There are three simple goals: construct, convert and connect. The Valley needs to convert the Orange Line bus line to light rail to keep up with the growth and demand that has already pushed the bus service well past capacity. We also need to connect the East Valley with the Metro-approved East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor along Van Nuys Boulevard as a light rail line; and we need to construct a tunnel that will allow for light rail through the Sepulveda Pass. And speaking of the potential for transformative investment, we’re also grateful Los Angeles and VICA will be involved in a whole-hearted, widely supported effort to bring the Olympics back home to L.A. in 2024. Angelenos have recognized the support, tradition and value that this event brings, and we’re more than excited about the potential to host it again. Potential for investment, potential for new projects and, perhaps most importantly, the potential for more job creation are continual concerns at VICA. Along those lines, VICA is also grateful for city leaders like L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson, who had the courage to look at where Los Angeles was facing perhaps one of its biggest challenges, job creation, and take ownership of the issue. He credited VICA’s prodding during the announcement of his Ad Hoc Job Creation Plan Committee, and we’re grateful when our leaders are willing to honestly look at an issue from all sides and work on a solution. Not only did the job-creation issue prompt some honest conversation at City Hall, but it was followed by another thing we’re grateful for, that Los Angeles County officials are developing resources and research to address small-business development. Mere days after Wesson’s move, the county dedicated more than $19 million over the next few years to look at creating a better business climate in Los Angeles County – something we can all be grateful for this holiday season. So while we’re sure that the cheers could soon be replaced by our usual cajoling, at this time we say thanks to our members, leaders and those who take the time to get involved. And a happy holidays to everyone else. Stuart Waldman is president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, a Sherman Oaks-based business advocacy organization that represents L.A. County employers at the local, state and federal levels of government.
