Rafael Perez’s Oct. 1 column “Here’s what to know about the Los Angeles city charter amendments,” offered Angelenos a useful guide to the six charter amendments on their November ballot, along with a warning that many of them leave important questions unanswered.
BizFed represents hundreds of business organizations across Los Angeles County, and few issues unite them like the Port of Los Angeles. California’s port economy supports more than 3.6 million jobs statewide, across trucking, warehousing, rail, logistics, retail, and small business.
Many of those jobs extend far beyond the waterfront, whether they’re in the Antelope Valley, the Gateway Cities, the South Bay or communities across our county. Port truckers, many paid by the load, lose money every hour they wait at a slow terminal.
Those jobs depend on a port that stays competitive. That means predictable rules, timely decisions, and the flexibility to adapt to a global industry that does not stand still. Changes that add uncertainty put that at risk, and charter changes are among the hardest to undo.
However voters decide, the port’s role in supporting jobs across LA County should be front and center.
Stuart Waldman is president and CEO of the Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed)