R-28 Correspondence – Alexandra Lakatos
From: Alexandra Lakatos (née Cannarella) [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, June 13, 2022 4:39 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Cc: John Edmond <[email protected]>; JHarris-LBChamber <[email protected]>; Mayor <[email protected]>; Mary Zendejas <[email protected]>; Cindy Allen <[email protected]>; Suzie Price <[email protected]>; Daryl Supernaw <[email protected]>; Stacy Mungo <[email protected]>; Suely Saro <[email protected]>; Roberto Uranga <[email protected]>; Al Austin <[email protected]>; Rex Richardson <[email protected]> Subject: Letters for Items on the June 14 City Council Agenda
-EXTERNAL-
Good afternoon,
I hope this email finds you well. Attached you will find letters on behalf of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce regarding two items on the City Council agenda for tomorrow, June 14.
The first letter speaks in support of item 22 (22-0645) which relates to the installation of a new car wash located on 5005 Long Beach Boulevard. The second letter is in regards to item 28 (22-0652), which would bring forward an Economic Impact Report for the citywide private healthcare minimum wage increase.
We thank you for taking the Long Beach Chamber's views into consideration.
Best regards.
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Alexandra Lakatos
Vice President
Edmond Group LLC
503-961-4783
June 10, 2022
Mayor Dr. Robert Garcia
Members of City Council
City of Long Beach
411 W. Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90802
Subject: Item 28 (22-0652) on the 6/14/2022 City Council Agenda
Dear Honorable Mayor Garcia and Honorable City Councilmembers:
On behalf of our approximately 750 members from across the greater Long Beach area, we would like to express our concerns regarding the implementation of a citywide private healthcare minimum wage of $25/hour in Long Beach. The Chamber believes there will be several ramifications because of this policy, and therefore continues to oppose this ballot measure as we’ve opposed a similar measure in the past. Considering our opposition to this proposed measure, at a minimum we urge you to complete an economic impact report to fully understand the effects that will be experienced in health care costs, quality of care, and staffing.
The Chamber respectfully requests the City Council to consider not only how this policy may affect the economic recovery of the health care sector, but also how hospitals and patient care will change due to the increase of costs.
Along with the economic impact report, City Council should consider how this measure will financially impact non-covered providers, especially in terms of loss of recruitment and retention. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals are already struggling as is and adding an additional factor of economic difficulty will set them on the path to lose staff to private hospitals. And since this proposed measure will affect the health care sector as a whole, it is important for City Council to also analyze the complications that may arise for covered providers in relation to access to care and services. All in all, the measure will affect different providers unequally and will impose fiscal impacts on covered and non-covered facilities.
Far beyond the health care sector, The Chamber is concerned about how the measure may affect our city as a whole since the proposed measure will place more responsibility for enforcement on the city through financials and human resources. There well may be a broader impact on the business community considering an increase in the health care minimum wage can also bring about an increase in wages for all businesses due to the very competitive hiring market.
A full economic analysis of the proposed measure should be done to fully understand the costs and resources that will be compromised to put the measure into effect. Conducting and economic impact report will give further insight as to how this measure will affect the heath care sector, underserved communities, and the city throughout.
Thank you for taking our views into account.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Harris
President & CEO
Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce