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Combined Shape .st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#fff} .st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#fff} SMS Home >> About LA Tourism Business Meeting Planning Travel Trade Membership Overview Advertise Meet the Team Member Login Membership Applicaton Business Spotlight Media Overview Media Library Meet the Team Press Releases Research Careers Contact Us Leadership Media Membership Sales Travel Trade Search Search Business Services Convention Services Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board Share Been There Login Register My Next Trip Login Register American  |  Get Directions Go Metro Website Convention Services Bar Follow Us: The mission of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is to advance the prosperity of L.A.'s visitor economy and the livelihoods that depend on it. This is achieved by sales and marketing to the principle segments of both the domestic and international travel trade and consumer. In particular, L.A. Tourism represents the L.A. destination to the meetings and convention industry nationwide; the international travel trade and traveler; the cruise passenger and cruise lines; the domestic leisure traveler; as well as the worldwide travel media.

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LA’s Chief Tourism Officer Doane Liu on Tourism's Trajectory in the City

In this TPR Interview, Doane Liu, the City of LA’s Chief Tourism Officer and Executive Director of the City Tourism Department (CTD) elaborates on the growth potential for Los Angeles tourism as the world continues to reopen to travel. Liu shares how his department is ambitiously looking toward the future and preparing the City’s tourism infrastructure for the mega sporting events line-up over the next few years as well as the opportunities they bring for drawing in international and domestic travelers to pre-pandemic levels.

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L.A. Mayor Garcetti Signs Order Creating Tourism Cabinet

In a bid to jump-start tourism to Los Angeles as the Covid pandemic appears to be receding, Mayor Eric Garcetti last week signed an executive order creating a tourism cabinet to spearhead efforts to make the city more attractive to tourists. The new cabinet will consist of various city department heads and will be led by Doane Liu, executive director of the city’s tourism department.

“Los Angeles is a global destination, and if we want our economy to fully recover from the pandemic, we need to get this industry back on its feet,” Garcetti said at the executive order signing. “Tourism and hospitality were hit hard over the last two years, and as we continue to safely welcome more people from across the country and world to Los Angeles, we need to make sure Angelenos benefit from that economic growth.”

Indeed, in 2020, the year the pandemic hit, the number of tourists arriving in L.A. plunged nearly 50% to 26.9. million, rebounding somewhat in 2021 to about 40 million, according to figures supplied by the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board.

The drop in international tourists was even more dramatic, plunging to less than 2 million in 2020 from 7.4 million in 2019; last year that rebounded somewhat to just under 3 million, according to figures from the board.

These figures will be top of mind as the new tourism cabinet looks to strengthen L.A.’s tourism infrastructure, expanding accommodations such as hotels and short-term rental opportunities, and upgrading activity centers for tourists.

As part of this effort, the cabinet will look to implement a series of recommendations laid out in the city’s tourism master plan, which was released in April 2020 at the height of the pandemic lockdown. Among the recommendations: expediting expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center, upgrading the Hollywood Walk of Fame, expediting expansion of existing hotels and building of new ones and improving wayfinding for tourists.

One thing the new tourism cabinet will not do is implement marketing campaigns to attract additional tourists. That will remain the domain of the nonprofit Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, known as Los Angeles Tourism.

Indeed, the board sees Garcetti’s new tourism cabinet as complementary to its own effort to market the region to tourists. “As the official, nonprofit tourism promotion organization for the city of Los Angeles, we are appreciative of Mayor Garcetti’s long-standing support for the importance of tourism to our local economy,” said Los Angeles Tourism’s Chief Executive Adam Burke. “Los Angeles Tourism is grateful for the city’s vision in establishing the newly created Tourism Cabinet to address those key issues that directly impact the visitor experience.”

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Board of Los Angeles Convention & Tourism Development Commissioners 

In April 2014, the Mayor and City Council adopted an ordinance that changed the role of the Board from advisory to authoritative.

The Los Angeles Convention and Tourism Development Board of Commissioners is responsible for: 1) advising the Mayor and City Council on tourism, marketing the City, and Convention Center business and operations; 2) directing the Executive Director and overseeing contracts with the private operator and convention and visitor’s bureau; 3) advising on matters related to developing a strategic plan for tourism and hotel development; and 4) providing recommendations on rates.

The Board of Commissioners is composed of five members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council.

The Board meets on the first and third Wednesdays of every month at 9:00 a.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Jon F. Vein, President

Jon Vein is co-founder and CEO of MarketShare, the leading cloud-based, big data analytics and software company, helping companies grow more efficiently by identifying what is really driving demand. With eight offices around the world, MarketShare has had a significant impact on allocating over $200 billion in marketing investments for more than half of the Fortune 50 companies, as well as many other companies around the globe.

Prior to MarketShare, Commissioner Vein served as Chief Operating Officer of Michael Ovitz’s AMG (Artists Management Group) and APG (Artists Production Group), overseeing all divisions, including talent, literary, animation, sports, music, publishing, and feature film production. An Emmy award winner, Commissioner Vein produced many acclaimed film and television productions.

Commissioner Vein started his career as a founding partner of noted entertainment law firm, Dern & Vein.

Ray Bidenost, Vice President

Ray Bidenost was the guiding force in founding Chef Robert Catering, Inc.(CRC). Through Commissioner Bidenost’s business acumen, strategic direction and operational influence, CRC has become and continues to be an industry leader.

Commissioner Bidenost is the Founder/President of the Motion Picture & Television Mobile Catering Association. His leadership shepherds over 25 companies, representing over 110 mobile food facilities. Commissioner Bidenost is also a member of the California Retail Food Safety Coalition.

Commissioner Bidenost encourages community involvement and has received numerous local business awards.

Jeremy Bernard

Jeremy Bernard is Founder and President of JMB Global, LTD, a strategic consulting company.   Previously, he served as White House Social Secretary and Assistant to the President from 2011-2015. He lived in Paris and worked as Senior Advisor to the United States Ambassador in France before becoming the White House Social Secretary.  Prior to that he was the White House Liaison to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).   Jeremy was appointed as a Super Delegate to the Democratic National Committee from 2000-2008.   President Clinton appointed him to the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Arts of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 

Jeremy has signed a book deal with Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, due out next year titled, “Treating People Well”.  His co-author is Lea Berman, White House Social Secretary for George W. Bush.  

Otto Padron

Otto Padron is President and COO of Meruelo Media Holding, LLC based in Los Angeles, California. His wide experience, leadership and vision was instrumental in the ratings and financial turnaround of this iconic broadcast TV station, KWHY 22 (Canal 22 link to http://www.canal22.tv/) as well as the station’s successful alignment to the Spanish language network, MundoFOX in August 2012. Before joining the Meruelo Media team, Commissioner Padron founded OTV Creative offering production, operation and general consulting services in the areas of entertainment, intellectual property content creation and broadcast management.

As the only executive to have successfully headed programming for both major US Spanish language networks, Univision and Telemundo, Commissioner Padron brings an experienced perspective and matchless insight into the Hispanic viewer profile, content and cultural preferences. Commissioner Padron is a graduate of Florida International University’s Chapman School of Business, a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserve, and an Iraq combat veteran.

Stella T. Maloyan

Stella Maloyan has been the Development Director at LAANE since 2002, and  oversees the organization’s private fundraising programs and events. Ms. Maloyan has raised several million dollars for LAANE and created two of the city’s signature events: the City of Justice Awards Dinner, L.A.’s premier progressive fundraiser honoring national business, labor and political leaders; and the Women for a New Los Angeles Luncheon, the largest annual women’s empowerment forum in Southern California, with a unique and diverse gathering of women and men from across the city and state.

She holds a master’s degree in Public Administration, a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and certification in Advanced Fundraising, Board Development, and Strategic Planning. She is fluent in Armenian & Farsi.

A human rights activist, Ms. Maloyan is a past board member at the Program for Torture Victims, and is a longtime member and supporter of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, a global humanitarian organization. She currently serves on the board of the Getty House Foundation, helping to implement and promote community events at the Getty House with innovative public-private partnerships. She is committed to enhancing L.A.’s image as one of the great world cities.

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Downtown Los Angeles Places Another Big Bet on the Arts

The pandemic was tough on city centers and cultural institutions. What does that mean for Los Angeles, whose downtown depends on the arts?

By Robin Pogrebin

Reporting from Los Angeles

For decades the effort to revitalize downtown Los Angeles has been tied to arts projects, from the construction of the midcentury modern Music Center in 1964 to the addition of Frank Gehry’s soaring stainless steel Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003.

But the pandemic was tough on downtowns and cultural institutions around the country, and Los Angeles has been no exception.

Its downtown office vacancy rates climbed above 25 percent . Storefronts are empty. Homelessness and crime remain concerns. Many arts organizations have yet to recover their prepandemic audiences. And there have been vivid displays of the area’s thwarted ambitions: Graffiti artists covered three abandoned skyscrapers just before the Grammy Awards were held across the street at the Crypto.com Arena, and some lights on the acclaimed new Sixth Street Viaduct were doused after thieves stole the copper wire.

So it was a major vote of confidence in the area’s continuing promise when the Broad , the popular contemporary art museum that opened across the street from Disney Hall in 2015, announced last month that it was about to begin a $100 million expansion .

And it was very much a continuation of the vision of its founder, Eli Broad, the businessman and philanthropist who played a key role in the effort to create a center of gravity in a famously spread-out city by transforming Grand Avenue into a cultural hub. Broad, who died in 2021 , helped to establish the Museum of Contemporary Art and get Disney Hall built before opening the Broad to house his own art collection.

“As Eli said — and he said this when really almost no one agreed with him — downtown L.A. is the center and this region needs a cultural center,” said Joanne Heyler, the founding director and chief curator of the Broad. “He was right. At least our experience and our audience proves that point.”

The Broad — which offers free admission — says its attendance has recovered to prepandemic levels, as does the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which says it is once again averaging 89 percent attendance.

But other presenters have struggled. Last summer, Center Theater Group suspended productions at one of its three stages, the 736-seat Mark Taper Forum at the Music Center complex, citing financial woes.

“It’s no secret that many art institutions critical to the downtown Los Angeles arts ecology are continuing to face hardship,” Hilda L. Solis, the Los Angeles County Supervisor who represents the Grand Avenue stretch of Bunker Hill and the nearby Arts District, said in an email. “But despite the setbacks, this field is resilient. Artists and organizations in the area are finding ways to pivot in an effort to reconnect with Angelenos.”

They are also working to lure audiences back downtown at a moment when office vacancy is up and hotel occupancy is down. “It feels a little hollowed out,” said Christopher Koelsch, the president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Opera, adding that “it is much harder to sell our midweek performances than it used to be.”

The opera is projecting that attendance will reach 75 percent of capacity this season, an improvement over the last few years but still down from the 83 percent attendance it had during the last full season before the pandemic.

Traffic congestion remains another hurdle to getting people to travel downtown, and some galleries and arts organization have been expanding into other areas to meet people where they are.

The galleries Hauser & Wirth and François Ghebaly , which have spaces downtown, both recently added locations in West Hollywood. And while the L.A. Dance Project is expanding its downtown studio and performance space, doubling its seating capacity, it also just entered an agreement to perform regularly at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.

The galleries say that they are not giving up on downtown. “They both complement each other,” said Stacen Berg, partner and executive director of Hauser & Wirth in Los Angeles, referring to her gallery’s two locations. “West Hollywood is a more trafficked area — we have people pop in multiple times to see one show. Downtown serves as a destination. They make their way to come to us.”

Ghebaly said he decided to open another space in West Hollywood to give collectors the convenience of “proximity shopping.”

“The ideal way of covering a city like Los Angeles is to have several locations,” he said. “These neighborhoods are essentially different cities, cultures, identities — like island states in Greece, only instead of being separated by seas, they’re separated by freeways.”

Dealers say downtown offers an unusual degree of physical space and creative freedom. “You simply cannot see these shows anywhere else in L.A. or in New York,” said the dealer Susanne Vielmetter, who in 2019 expanded her downtown gallery and closed her Culver City location.

Hauser’s downtown space, a sprawling complex that includes a bookstore and the popular restaurant Manuela, says it drew 4,000 people to its recent opening for Jason Rhoades, Catherine Goodman and RETROaction (part two) .

Young people who live and work in the Arts District contribute to a liveliness among galleries. “People go out downtown,” said Mara McCarthy, the founder of the Box gallery, which presents contemporary art and performances. “They will go see a show over there and get a beer down here and go get ramen.”

Grand Avenue remains a case study in progress and challenges. Some hope that the recently completed development, Grand L.A. , across from Disney Hall — which was designed by Gehry and includes restaurants, shops, a hotel and residences — fulfills its promise. Just a few blocks away another hotel, the L.A. Grand Hotel, is being used to house the homeless .

“Downtown is stalled,” said Richard Koshalek, a former director of the Museum of Contemporary Art who also led the committee that selected Gehry for Disney Hall. “There should be a commitment to a visionary plan.”

There have been signs of attention from government officials.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last month that his administration would push to expedite construction of a $2-billion, 7.6-acre residential and commercial development called Fourth & Central, which bills itself as “the New Gateway to DTLA.” And Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles has continued to work to address the homeless crisis . And the City Council approved nearly $4 million to remove the graffiti on the abandoned skyscrapers and secure the buildings.

Mark Falcone, the founder and chief executive of Continuum Partners, which is developing Fourth & Central, said that “at the moment, there is the perception that there is more risk in L.A. and San Francisco than there was five years ago” but that he remains “very bullish” on downtown’s prospects.

“We believe cultural enterprises are the things that give a community more long-term resilience and stability than anything else,” he said.

Arts administrators are making plans too. The Mark Taper has begun to offer some programming again ( a return of Alex Edelman’s one-man show and a Michael Feinstein concert ) and plans to announce a new season that its artistic director, Snehal Desai , says will focus heavily on weekends to accommodate the weakness in weekday attendance.

“The pandemic accelerated some of the trends that were already going on,” said Rachel S. Moore, the Music Center’s president and chief executive. “People are much more selective about what they’re seeing, but things that are super popular are super popular.”

The Broad recently hit the highest daily attendance in its history: 6,200 visitors on March 30. (By way of comparison, the nearby Museum of Contemporary Art said its attendance was 1,985 that day.) “There was a feeling in the beginning that downtown was in mothballs,” Heyler, its director, said. “We’ve emerged from that moment fully.”

In another promising development, the Colburn School for music and dance just broke ground on a Gehry-designed expansion to its downtown campus that will include a 1,000-seat concert hall.

“There is a need for a medium-size venue in the heart of the cultural district,” said Sel Kardan, the school’s chief executive and president, adding that he hoped the stage would be used during the upcoming Olympics.

And the Los Angeles tourism board has focused its latest — and largest — ad campaign on art and culture. “Most people don’t know that Los Angeles is now home to the most museums and performing arts venues in the country,” said Adam Burke, the board’s president and chief executive.

A few businesses have recently put down roots downtown, including ​​Spotify, which opened a sprawling new campus in the Arts District, and Warner Music Group, which moved into a new five-story building on Santa Fe Avenue. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, is planning to offer corporate memberships to try to leverage this new crop of executives, Anne Ellegood, the executive director, said, adding that the museum is “thinking a lot about what we can do to bring artists back to the neighborhood.

“Everyone in the cultural sector,” she said, “has to be thinking about how to ensure that artists stay in L.A.”

Robin Pogrebin , who has been a reporter for The Times for nearly 30 years, covers arts and culture in California. More about Robin Pogrebin

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See how much your business may benefit from travel and tourism by utilizing the Percentage of Travel % Tourism Estimation Tool.

The California Office of Tourism is a department within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development that supports the promotion of California as a global tourism destination and provides information services to visitors. The Office of Tourism works in close coordination with the California Travel and Tourism Commission, doing business as Visit California, to facilitate travel to California. Visit California is a nonprofit 501(c) corporation with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry – that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. Visit California operates a global marketing program in 14 markets on behalf of the tens of the thousands of California businesses who benefit from travel. The Office of Tourism collects the fees that fund Visit California’s campaigns and initiatives.

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What does the california office of tourism do.

The California Office of Tourism supports California programs that benefit the state’s travel and tourism industry.

Tourism Assessment Program

The California Tourism Marketing Act of 1995 enabled the state’s tourism industry to assess itself to conduct statewide marketing. In 1998, the industry voted to pass the first industrywide referendum, creating the Tourism Assessment Program and establishing the California Travel and Tourism Commission as the first-of-its-kind destination marketing organization in the nation.

California businesses participating in the program are identified as part of five travel and tourism industry categories: accommodations; attractions and recreation; restaurants and retail; transportation and travel services; and passenger rental cars. The Office of Tourism manages the Tourism Assessment Program and collects the funds that power Visit California’s global marketing efforts. For more information on Visit California, visit industry.visitcalifornia.com .

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The California Welcome Center Program comprises 21 strategically located official state welcome centers that serve as California’s concierges. Equipped with comprehensive informational materials and expert staff, each California Welcome Center (CWC) acts as a window into the world of the surrounding region and state. Through personal interactions with travelers, CWCs gather travel statistics and feedback on traveler experiences, directly supporting local communities through travel recommendations and insights. For more information on California Welcome Centers, visit www.visitcwc.com .

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California in a jam after borrowing billions to pay unemployment benefits

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California’s massive budget deficit , coupled with the state’s relatively high level of joblessness, has become a major barrier to reducing the billions of dollars of debt it has incurred to pay unemployment benefits.

The surge in unemployment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the state’s unemployment insurance trust into insolvency. And over the last year California’s joblessness has been on the upswing again , reaching 5.3% in February, the highest among all states. The March job numbers come out Friday.

To keep the safety-net program operating at a time when the taxes paid by employers and earmarked for jobless benefits are insufficient, Sacramento has been borrowing billions of dollars from the federal government. The debt now stands at about $21 billion and growing, an increasing burden for state deficit fighters and for the businesses that pay into the jobless insurance program.

Payroll taxes paid by employers are rising not only to cover payouts to unemployed workers but also a state surcharge and a gradually increasing federal surtax to help pay off the principal on the debt. But the tax increases are not enough to deal with the huge loan the state has incurred, or at least not in any timely manner.

California already has paid more than $650 million in interest on the loan — and about $550 million more is due Sept. 30.

“Businesses are going to continue to see the slow boil eating into their margins,” said Robert Moutrie, senior policy advocate for the California Chamber of Commerce.

Higher taxes will hit small and midsize companies in sectors such as restaurants and tourism especially hard, he said.

“It just adds to the burden and the costs of operating here and makes companies look at operating elsewhere,” Moutrie said.

Although the pandemic is largely to blame for California’s huge unemployment insurance debt — and there’s been a lot of attention on dollars lost to fraud — analysts and workers’ rights groups point to another problem: Even during more-normal economic times, the state often doesn’t collect enough unemployment insurance taxes to cover jobless claims.

“The root problem really is that for decades policymakers haven’t been requiring businesses to pay enough into the [unemployment insurance] fund to support the benefits workers really need,” said Amy Traub, senior researcher and policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project.

“So there’s a structural deficit that underlies this crisis moment with this huge debt to the federal government.”

Data also show that jobless workers in California stay on unemployment significantly longer than the national average, which adds to the total payout amount. And California workers claim unemployment benefits in disproportionately high numbers .

The state accounts for about 20% of the nation’s jobless claims, far in excess of its 11% share of the labor force population. That partly reflects the state’s higher unemployment and accompanying increases in layoffs and jobless claims in the tech industry and other sectors, but also its comparatively easier eligibility rules and low re-employment rate.

Last year California’s jobless workers received on average $385 a week, replacing only about 28% of the average wage. Both figures are lower than the national averages, according to Department of Labor statistics. (The wage replacement rate is about 50% for minimum-wage workers in California.)

From surplus to deficit

But California also stands out as an outlier in the way it has managed, or mismanaged, the program.

When COVID struck in March 2020, U.S. unemployment jumped to 14.8% a month later and brought unprecedented jobless claims, forcing California and many other states to borrow from the federal government to keep paying benefits. Almost all the other states have since repaid those loans, some with pandemic relief money they also got from Washington.

Today only New York and California, plus the Virgin Islands, still owe money for unemployment insurance loans.

Analysts said California could have used some of the $43.5 billion the state received from the American Rescue Plan Act to pay down the debt. Instead, state officials spent the relief money for other purposes, including additional stimulus checks to residents.

“California had options and it chose the spending option instead of the responsible option,” said Matt Weidinger, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who has written widely on the unemployment insurance program. He said higher employer payroll taxes will ultimately spill over to employees in the form of less wages.

“California distributed relief during a time when people and businesses were struggling, everything from covering rent and utility bills to small business grants — helping those hardest hit by the pandemic while stimulating the economy,” said Alex Stack, a spokesman for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. “That’s on top of paying down $250 million of unemployment fund debts.”

State legislative analysts were careful not to criticize policy choices made during the extraordinarily uncertain times.

Some suggested, however, that officials may have felt the state had plenty of financial cushion coming out of the pandemic in 2021-22. Then, Sacramento was flush with cash , thanks to huge tax windfalls. And the interest rate on the federal unemployment insurance loan two years ago was at a historical low of 1.6%.

But the interest rate on the loan has since risen to 2.6% — and may yet rise further. What’s more, once huge surpluses are now a projected record budget deficit of more than $70 billion in 2024-25, according to a February update by California’s Legislative Analyst Office.

An economic downturn in the state, marked by a falloff in technology investment and rising overall unemployment, has resulted in unprecedented shortfalls in tax revenues.

Under such budget constraints, California officials had little choice but to pull back on plans to spend $1 billion to reduce the principal on the unemployment insurance loan.

What’s the solution?

California’s Employment Development Department, which oversees the state’s unemployment insurance program, has said that it would rely on increased federal taxes on employers to pay down the debt.

Currently California employers pay a federal unemployment insurance tax of 1.2% on the first $7,000 of wages per employee, but that will rise incrementally every year so long as California is in debt, to more than 3.5% after 10 years. And analysts estimate that it may take at least that long to pay off the debt.

Businesses also pay a state unemployment insurance tax, also on the first $7,000 of wages, based on their layoff history, plus a surcharge when there’s a shortfall in the jobless benefits fund.

Combining both state and federal portions, a new California employer, for example, would be looking at paying about $500 in unemployment insurance taxes per employee this year — almost double than during normal times.

“California’s apparent plan to rely on [federal tax] revenue to pay off the loan avoids addressing solvency in the state unemployment insurance law and places the burden of increased unemployment benefits during the pandemic on employers,” said Doug Holmes, former director of Ohio’s unemployment insurance program and currently president of the consulting firm UWC.

In California, business groups say it’s unfair for employers to shoulder the increasing burden when they weren’t responsible for the pandemic or the temporary lockdowns that were imposed on them, resulting in layoffs and higher unemployment claims. They argue that it will only add to the state’s already higher business costs that have pushed some California companies to relocate to Texas , Nevada and other states.

Traub, of the National Employment Law Project, said employers have to pay more to make the math work and ensure the unemployment trust system is sustainable over the long haul.

Sacramento collects unemployment insurance taxes on the first $7,000 of wages per employee per year. Traub noted that most other states have a significantly higher taxable wage limit — New York at $12,500; New Mexico at $31,700; and Washington state, the highest, at $68,500.

“Raising the taxable wage base has got to be part of the solution,” Traub said.

California legislators are now considering an increase, which many agree is needed. “That’s very reasonable,” said Michael Bernick, an employment attorney at Duane Morris in San Francisco.

Bernick was the EDD director in the early 2000s when, under Gov. Gray Davis, the state raised the maximum weekly unemployment benefits to $450 a week — but without increasing the taxes to cover the larger payments.

Writing in a report with Holmes, Bernick recommended a number of steps the EDD could take to shore up the state’s unemployment benefits program, including tightening eligibility standards and modernizing the agency’s computer and communications systems. But by far the main policy change that’s needed is to help jobless workers move into new jobs more rapidly.

In 2022, California workers stayed on unemployment aid for an average of 18.1 weeks, compared with 14.5 weeks nationally, according to a study by the Department of Labor’s former lead actuary, Robert Pavosevich.

In California that year, 47% of recipients took the full maximum 26 weeks of jobless benefits. Nationally, only 27% exhausted all benefit weeks available.

“Those are striking numbers and highlight just how much the system needs to be reshaped,” Bernick said. “How do we get people back to work quickly? It’s both good for businesses and the workers, but also for the unemployment fund.”

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April 22, 2024

California returns to job growth in March, but unemployment rate remains highest in nation

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Job growth is booming across the U.S. but not in California. Here’s why

March 9, 2024

Don Lee writes economic stories out of Washington, D.C. Since joining the Los Angeles Times in 1992, he has served as the Shanghai bureau chief and in various editing and reporting roles in California. Lee previously worked at the Kansas City Star. He is a native of Seoul, Korea, and graduated from the University of Chicago.

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Construction Begins on High-Speed Rail Line Between SoCal and Las Vegas

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A high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas moved one step closer to reality Monday when ground was officially broken to mark the start of construction on the project.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was among the dignitaries on hand for the ceremony south of the famed Las Vegas Strip.

“This day is a major milestone in building the future of American rail and the jobs that come with it,” Buttigieg posted on X, formerly Twitter, Monday morning ahead of the event. “… We’re supporting this pivotal project with billions of dollars from President Biden’s instrastructure law.”

America is finally getting a real high-speed rail line Construction starts today on a track connecting Los Angeles and Las Vegas • Top speed: 186 mph • Total cost: $12 billion • Cuts 4-hour trip to two hours • 11 million passengers annually Train lovers everywhere rejoice pic.twitter.com/E0EBJ4YSZS — Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) April 22, 2024

The $12 billion Brightline West project will be a fully electric, zero-emission system that officials say will be one of the greenest forms of transportation in the United States. The project is expected to bolster tourism, create 35,000 jobs, ease traffic on I-15 and cut more than 400,000 tons of carbon pollution each year, Brightline officials said.

The line will include a flagship station in Las Vegas, with additional stations in Apple Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga. The Rancho Cucamonga Station will also connect to Southern California’s regional Metrolink service, allowing for connectivity into downtown Los Angeles and beyond.

The 218-mile rail line will primarily run along the Interstate 15 median with trains capable of reaching 186 mph or more, cutting the trip to 2 hours, 10 minutes — half the time to travel by car, officials said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation in January announced $2.5 billion in bond funds for the project. The DOT previously approved a private activity bond allocation of $1 billion for Brightline West in 2020. In December, the DOT awarded a $3 billion grant from Biden’s infrastructure bill to the Nevada Department of Transportation for the project, and last June, the DOT awarded a $25 million grant to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Program that will be used for the construction of Brightline West stations in Hesperia and Victor Valley, California.

The tentative goal is to have the line open by 2028, in time for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

More information about the project can be found at brightlinewest.com .

City News Service contributed to this article.

City of Los Angeles Tourism Master Plan - Learn More

What is the Tourism Master Plan? Tourism is a powerful force in the growth and development of the Los Angeles economy, creating employment opportunities for residents and producing significant revenue for businesses and the City of Los Angeles.

The Tourism Master Plan (TMP) -- a first for the City of Los Angeles -- is a destination management plan that analyzes our city’s tourism assets and looks at what infrastructure is required in order to handle the large increase in visitation expected in the upcoming years.

What will the TMP achieve? The TMP seeks to balance two major objectives: enhance the visitor experience in Los Angeles and increase the quality of life for Los Angeles residents. It is a strategic vision that identifies a path for sustainable growth of tourism and ensures that tourism delivers even stronger benefits to the community. This will especially be crucial to the recovery of the leisure and hospitality industry in Los Angeles, which has been significantly impacted during the pandemic.

How were these recommendations developed? In the fall of 2018, the City of Los Angeles Department of Convention and Tourism Development (CTD) engaged Resonance Consultancy to develop a long-term strategic plan. The entire process involved an incredible amount of input and guidance from local leaders, industry stakeholders and the community.

The first phase focused on six research activities to develop key insights reflecting the current state of tourism, which were reviewed and critiqued by a TMP Steering Committee. The second phase looked to the future of tourism in Los Angeles and included qualitative research and visioning sessions with more than 75 stakeholders.

How will the TMP be  implemented? The TMP includes roles and responsibilities for each of the 22 recommendations with a suggested lead department. It also recommends the formation of the Los Angeles Tourism Cabinet to work with public, private and community stakeholders to implement, monitor and advance the Plan. CTD will work with the Los Angeles Tourism Cabinet to strategize action steps for each recommendation.

Read or download the full Tourism Master Plan or two-page summary .

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Mortality rate among homeless people in Los Angeles County from 2014-2019

In Los Angeles County, the mortality rate among people experiencing homelessness (PEH) consistently increased between 2014 and 2019. In 2019, the mortality rate reached a peak for the given period at 2,021 deaths per 100,000 people. This statistic depicts the mortality rate among people experiencing homelessness between 2014 and 2019 in Los Angeles County.

Mortality rate among people experiencing homelessness between 2014 and 2019 in Los Angeles County (per 100,000 population)

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April 22, 2024

Making history: brightline west breaks ground on america’s first high-speed rail project connecting las vegas to southern california  , officials hammer the first spike commemorating the groundbreaking for brightline west.

LAS VEGAS (April 22, 2024)  – Today, Brightline West officially broke ground on the nation's first true high-speed rail system which will connect Las Vegas to Southern California. The 218-mile system will be constructed in the middle of the I-15 and is based on Brightline’s vision to connect city pairs that are too short to fly and too far to drive. Hailed as the greenest form of transportation in the world, Brightline West will run zero emission, fully electric trains capable of speeds of 200 miles per hour. Brightline West is a watershed project for high-speed rail in America and will establish the foundation for the creation of a new industry and supply chain. The project was recently awarded $3 billion in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. The rest of the project will be privately funded and has received a total allocation of $3.5 billion in private activity bonds from USDOT.

The groundbreaking included remarks from U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Brightline Founder Wes Edens, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, Sen. Catherine Cortez, Sen. Jacky Rosen, California Rep. Pete Aguilar, Senior Advisor to President Biden Steve Benjamin and Vince Saavedra of the Southern Nevada Building Trades. In addition, Nevada Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steve Horsford and California Rep. Norma Torres joined the celebration. More than 600 people, including union representatives, project supporters and other state and local officials from California and Nevada, attended the event.

“People have been dreaming of high-speed rail in America for decades – and now, with billions of dollars of support made possible by President Biden’s historic infrastructure law, it’s finally happening,” said Secretary Buttigieg. “Partnering with state leaders and Brightline West, we’re writing a new chapter in our country’s transportation story that includes thousands of union jobs, new connections to better economic opportunity, less congestion on the roads, and less pollution in the air.”

“This is a historic project and a proud moment where we break ground on America’s first high-speed rail system and lay the foundation for a new industry,” said Wes Edens, Brightline founder. “Today is long overdue, but the blueprint we’ve created with Brightline will allow us to repeat this model in other city pairs around the country.”

CONSTRUCTION OF BRIGHTLINE WEST

Brightline West's rail system will span 218 miles and reach speeds of 200 mph. The route, which has full environmental clearance, will run within the median of the I-15 highway with zero grade crossings. The system will have stops in Las Vegas, Nev., as well as Victor Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

The privately led infrastructure project is one of the largest in the nation and will be constructed and operated by union labor. It will use 700,000 concrete rail ties, 2.2 million tons of ballast, and 63,000 tons of 100% American steel rail during construction. Upon completion, it will include 322 miles of overhead lines to power the trains and will include 3.4 million square feet of retaining walls. The project covers more than 160 structures including viaducts and bridges. Brightline West will be fully Buy America Compliant.

STATIONS AND FACILITIES

Brightline West will connect Southern California and Las Vegas in two hours or almost half the time as driving. The Las Vegas Station will be located near the iconic Las Vegas Strip, on a 110-acre property north of Blue Diamond Road between I-15 and Las Vegas Boulevard. The site provides convenient access to the Harry Reid International Airport, the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium. The station is approximately 80,000 square feet plus parking.

The Victor Valley Station in Apple Valley will be located on a 300-acre parcel southeast of Dale Evans Parkway and the I-15 interchange. The station is intended to offer a future connection to the High Desert Corridor and California High Speed Rail. The Victor Valley Station is approximately 20,000 square feet plus parking.

The Rancho Cucamonga Station will be located on a 5-acre property at the northwest corner of Milliken Avenue and Azusa Court near Ontario International Airport. The station will be co-located with existing multi-modal transportation options including California Metrolink, for seamless connectivity to Downtown Los Angeles and other locations in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. The Rancho Cucamonga Station is approximately 80,000 square feet plus parking.

The Hesperia Station will be located within the I-15 median at the I-15/Joshua Street interchange and will function primarily as a local rail service for residents in the High Desert on select southbound morning and northbound evening weekday trains.

The Vehicle Maintenance Facility (VMF) is a 200,000-square-foot building located on 238 acres in Sloan, Nev., and will be the base for daily maintenance and staging of trains. This site will also serve as one of two hubs for the maintenance of way operations and the operations control center. More than 100 permanent employees will report on a daily basis once operations begin and will serve as train crews, corridor maintenance crews, or operations control center teammates. A second maintenance of way facility will be located adjacent to the Apple Valley station.

The Las Vegas and Southern California travel market is one of the nation’s most attractive corridors with over 50 million trips between the region each year. Additionally, Las Vegas continues to attract visitors from around the world, with 4.7 million international travelers flying into the destination. The city dubs itself on being the world’s No. 1 meeting destination, welcoming nearly 6 million people to the Las Vegas Convention Center last year.

In California, approximately 17 million Southern California residents are within 25 miles of the Brightline West station sites. Studies show that one out of every three visits to Las Vegas come from Southern California.

ECONOMIC & ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

Brightline West's $12 billion infrastructure investment will create over $10 billion in economic impact for Nevada and California and will generate more than 35,000 jobs, including 10,000 direct union construction roles and 1,000 permanent operations and maintenance positions. The investment also includes over $800 million in improvements to the I-15 corridor and involves agreements with several unions for skilled labor. The project supports Nevada and California's climate goals by offering a no-emission mobility option that reduces greenhouse gasses by over 400,000 tons of CO2 annually – reducing vehicle miles traveled by more than 700 million each year and the equivalent of 16,000 short-haul flights. The company will also construct three wildlife overpasses, in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Caltrans for the safe passage of native species, primarily the bighorn sheep.

BRIGHTLINE FLORIDA

Brightline’s first rail system in Florida connecting Miami to Orlando began initial service between its South Florida stations in 2018. In September 2023, Brightline’s Orlando station opened at Orlando International Airport, connecting South Florida to Central Florida. The company has plans to expand its system with future stops in Tampa, Florida’s Space Coast in Cocoa and the Treasure Coast in Stuart.

BRIGHTLINE WEST

ABOUT BRIGHTLINE WEST

Brightline is the only private provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity passenger rail service in America – offering a guest-first experience designed to reinvent train travel and take cars off the road by connecting city pairs and congested corridors that are too short to fly and too long to drive. Brightline West will connect Las Vegas and Southern California with the first true high-speed passenger rail system in the nation. The 218-mile, all-electric rail service will include a flagship station in Las Vegas, with additional stations in Victor Valley and Rancho Cucamonga. At speeds up to 200 miles per hour, trains will take passengers from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga in about two hours, twice as fast as the normal drive time.

Brightline is currently operating its first passenger rail system connecting Central and South Florida with stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, with future stations coming to Stuart and Cocoa. For more information, visit  www.brightlinewest.com  and follow on  LinkedIn ,  X ,  Instagram  and  Facebook .

QUOTE SHEET

“Through this visionary partnership, we are going to create thousands of jobs, bring critical transportation infrastructure to the West, and create an innovative, fast, and sustainable transportation solution. Nevada looks forward to partnering with Brightline on this historic project.”  - Governor Joe Lombardo, Nevada

“Today, not only are we breaking ground on a historic high-speed rail project here in Nevada, we are breaking ground on thousands of good paying American jobs, union jobs.”  - Steve Benjamin, Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement

“For decades, Nevadans heard about the promise of high-speed rail in our state, and I’m proud to have led the charge to secure the funding to make it a reality. Today’s groundbreaking is the beginning of a new era for southern Nevada -- creating thousands of good-paying union jobs, bringing in billions of dollars of economic development, enhancing tourism to the state, reducing traffic, and creating a more efficient and cleaner way to travel. This is a monumental step, and I’m glad to have worked across the aisle to make this project come true.”  - Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

“Having high-speed rail in Las Vegas will electrify our economy in Southern Nevada, and I’m thrilled to celebrate this milestone today. This project is on track to create tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs while cutting down traffic on I-15, and I’ll keep working with the Biden Administration to get this done as quickly as possible and continue delivering easier and cleaner transportation options for everyone in Nevada.”  - Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)

“Today’s groundbreaking is a historic step in modernizing rail service in the United States. Californians driving between the Los Angeles region and Las Vegas often face heavy traffic, causing emissions that pollute the air in surrounding communities. The Brightline West Project will provide travelers with more options—helping Californians and visitors alike get to their final destination without facing gridlock on the road.”  - Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

"High-speed rail in the Southwest has been a dream as far back as the nineties when Governor Bob Miller appointed me to the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission. As a senior Member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, I am honored to have helped write the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and secure $3 billion to turn that dream into a reality which will generate millions of dollars in tax revenue, reduce carbon emissions by easing traffic on Interstate 15, and create thousands of good-paying union jobs. I am proud to stand with advocates and transportation leaders as we break ground on the Brightline West project and look forward to welcoming high-speed passenger rail to Southern Nevada."  - Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-1)

“For decades, high-speed rail was just a dream in southern Nevada – but now, I’m beyond proud that we finally made it a reality. I worked across the aisle to help negotiate, craft, and ultimately pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because I knew it would kickstart transformative projects like Brightline West that will stand the test of time. Together, we’re cutting down on traffic, boosting our tourism economy, and creating thousands of good-paying union jobs.”  - Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-3)

“I am proud to join Brightline West for the groundbreaking of this monumental project for Southern Nevada and the southwestern United States. By connecting Las Vegas to Southern California via high-speed rail, we will boost tourism, reduce congestion on the I-15 corridor, and create jobs. The impact on our local economy and the people of the Silver State will be tremendous. In my conversations with Secretary Buttigieg, Brightline West, and our Nevada labor leaders, I know that local workers and our Nevada small businesses will benefit from this transformational investment. This will be the nation's first true high-speed rail system, blazing a new path forward for our nation’s rail infrastructure, and we hope it will serve as a blueprint for fostering greater regional connections for many other cities across the country.  - Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-4)

“Brightline West’s groundbreaking today marks the construction of a dynamic high-speed rail system that will link Las Vegas, Hesperia, and Apple Valley to Rancho Cucamonga’s Metrolink Station, creating new jobs and fostering economic growth in California’s 23rd Congressional District. This convenient alternative to driving will reduce the number of cars on the road, decreasing emissions and reducing congestion in our High Desert communities. This is an exciting step and I look forward to the completion of this project.”  - Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23)

"Today's groundbreaking on the Brightline West high-speed rail project marks an incredible milestone in the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to fulfilling the promise of high-speed rail and emissions-free transportation across the country. As a longtime supporter of this project, I helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has already invested over $3 billion to support the completion of this project. By increasing transportation options, spurring job creation and new economic opportunities, and improving our environment through cutting over 400,000 tons of carbon pollution each year, this project will be transformative to my district and all of Southern California for generations—particularly in and around the last stop in Rancho Cucamonga. With the goal of being operational in time for Los Angeles to host the Summer Olympic Games in 2028, I look forward to Brightline West facilitating travel for the millions visiting our region and elevating our 21st-century connectivity on the global stage."  - Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-28)

"As the Member of Congress that represents the City of Rancho Cucamonga and a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, it is my honor to participate in breaking ground on one of the most highly anticipated high-speed rail projects in the country. We gathered today thanks to the Biden Administration's leadership, which enacted the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to fund vital projects like this and transform our economy. The Brightline project is a stellar illustration of the power of successful public-private partnerships. Thanks to all the labor unions, Tribes, and wildlife advocates for their hard work, which brought this project to life. The bright line is fully electric and has zero emissions, which is excellent for our environment. I am eagerly anticipating the completion of this project in my district and look forward to seeing everyone there."  - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35)

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National Politics | Crush of lawsuits over voting in multiple…

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National Politics

National politics | crush of lawsuits over voting in multiple states creates a shadow war for the 2024 election.

By CHRISTINE FERNANDO (Associated Press)

CHICAGO (AP) — As President Joe Biden and Donald Trump step up their campaigning in swing states, a quieter battle is taking place in the shadows of their White House rematch.

The Republican National Committee, newly reconstituted under Trump , has filed election-related lawsuits in nearly half the states. Recent lawsuits over voter roll maintenance in Michigan and Nevada are part of a larger strategy targeting various aspects of voting and election administration.

It’s not a new strategy. But with recent internal changes at the RNC and added pressure from the former president, the legal maneuvering is expected to play an increasingly significant role for the party as Election Day in November approaches. The lawsuits are useful for campaign messaging, fundraising and raising doubts about the validity of the election.

Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the RNC and the Trump campaign, said the lawsuits were one of the organization’s main priorities this year.

“This is something that’s very important to President Trump,” she said. “He has said that this is something the RNC should do year-round.”

Democrats and legal experts are warning about how the lawsuits might overwhelm election officials and undermine voter confidence in the the results of the balloting.

The Democratic National Committee has a legal strategy of its own, building “a robust voter protection operation, investing tens of millions of dollars,” to counter the GOP’s efforts that seek to restrict access to the polls, spokesperson Alex Floyd said.

“The RNC is actively deploying an army of lawyers to make it harder for Americans’ ballots to be counted,” he said.

Election litigation soared after the 2020 election as Trump and his allies unsuccessfully challenged his loss to Biden in dozens of lawsuits.

Experts that year wondered whether the blitz of legal action was an aberration caused by false claims of a stolen election and changes to voting processes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Miriam Seifter, attorney with the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

They quickly realized that wasn’t the case as the 2022 midterms also generated a high number of election-related lawsuits. This year is projected to be similar, she said.

“Litigation seems to now be a fixture of each parties’ political and electoral strategies,” Seifter said.

Voter ID rules, mail ballots and voter roll maintenance are among the RNC’s litigation targets. The latest is a lawsuit this month alleging that Michigan has failed to keep its voter rolls up to date.

Maintaining accurate voter rolls by updating voters’ status is routine for election officials, who watch for death notices, changes in motor vehicle records or election mail being repeatedly returned. Michigan also uses ERIC, an interstate data-sharing pact that helps states update voter lists but has been targeted by conspiracy theories .

Opponents of the lawsuit have said it relies on unsubstantiated, flawed data and runs the risk of purging legitimate voters.

“They’re claiming there’s a problem because one piece of data doesn’t match another piece of data,” said Justin Levitt, a Loyola Law School professor. “But the pieces of data they’re trying to match don’t measure the same thing. It’s like saying, ‘I just looked at the clock and it’s different from the temperature on my thermometer.’”

This is not a new tactic, said Caren Short, director of legal and research for the League of Women Voters, which has filed to intervene in the Michigan lawsuit. She said most previous lawsuits have been from “more fringe groups” rather than directly from the RNC.

“Now seeing a prominent political party attempting to purge people from the rolls, it’s very concerning,” she said.

In the past four years, Michigan’s voter rolls have been targeted in three similar unsuccessful lawsuits. Just days after the Michigan lawsuit was filed, the RNC filed a similar one in Nevada.

Various other groups have filed similar litigation recently, including a lawsuit against the Maryland State Board of Elections claiming the state’s voting system is not in compliance with federal and state law.

Marly Hornik, CEO of United Sovereign Americans, one of the groups behind the Maryland lawsuit, said more lawsuits are intended in other states this year. On its website, United Sovereign Americans, which Hornik said formed last summer, announced plans to file lawsuits in 23 states.

The GOP and affiliated groups are involved in dozens of other cases with more on the way, RNC officials have said. In this election cycle, the RNC’s legal team has been involved in more than 80 lawsuits in 23 states, said Alvarez, the RNC spokesperson.

She said part of the reason for the flurry of lawsuits was the lifting of a federal consent decree in 2018 that had sharply limited the RNC’s ability to challenge voter verification and other “ballot security.”

During an interview this month with Fox News, the RNC chairman, Michael Whatley, emphasized the party’s plans to prioritize election-related litigation. He said the RNC is recruiting and training tens of thousands of poll observers and working with thousands of attorneys.

On Friday, the RNC announced plans to train poll watchers, poll workers and lawyers and send out more than 100,000 attorneys and volunteers to monitor vote-counting across battleground states in November.

Prioritizing election litigation also is reflected in recent changes within the RNC since Whatley and Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law, took control and reshaped the organization with a renewed focus on “election integrity.” The RNC now has “election integrity directors” in 13 states.

Christina Bobb , who has promoted false claims of a stolen 2020 election and was part of a Trump-backed fake elector scheme , was tapped to lead the department.

“One of our biggest changes from last cycle to this cycle was making the election integrity department its own department with its own dedicated budget and focus,” Alvarez said.

Rick Hasen, an election law expert and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, said most of the lawsuits are unlikely to win in court but “serve as a basis for fundraising and are trying to keep this issue front and center as a campaign issue.”

Democracy groups and legal experts said the lawsuits could pave the way for false narratives challenging the validity of the 2024 election while consuming time and staff at election offices across the country. Post-election lawsuits also could delay or obstruct certification of the results.

“I worry about these lawsuits that are not designed to clarify the rules but instead to lay the groundwork for false claims that an election their side lost was stolen or rigged,” said David Becker, founder and executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, which advises local election officials nationwide. “We saw this in 2020. We saw it in 2022. And we’re beginning to see the planting of seeds of doubt in the minds of the electorate again in 2024.”

Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, contributed to this report.

The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here . The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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