- Details
- Category: Industry News
The CLA Board of Directors (L to R): Chairman Marcos Contreras of A Advantage Limousine, President Andrew Wasmundt of Two Brothers Transportation, Treasurer Franci Ouzounis of White Dove Limousine, Secretary Erica Bugbee of ExecuStar/A Ride in Luxury, and Vice President John Hafer of A Custom Coach
The Colorado Limousine Association (CLA) held a holiday party on Tuesday, December 6, at Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão in Lone Tree, Colo. Attracting operators from throughout the state, the event welcomed 49 members and guests, which is record-breaking attendance for the organization.
CD/NLA Show Pass Winner Tammy Barrera of BT Car Service with her husband, Baldemar
Sponsors for the event included Chauffeur Driven, South Point Risk Advisors—Nathan Spears, Cobblestone Auto Spa Car Wash, Sierra Restaurant, and ExecuStar World Class Transportation. More than $1000 in gift certificates, gift cards, and gift baskets were raffled to the members.
CLA Secretary Erica Bugbee of ExecuStar/A Ride in Luxury took a few minutes to address the group, thanking the sponsors and encouraging everyone to renew their membership. She also spoke a bit about upcoming events in the Colorado region.
The CLA holiday party had record-setting attendance for the association.
“We’re thrilled with the turnout of regular attendees and so many new faces and hope everyone was able to make valuable connections,” says Bugbee. “I’m looking forward to even more meeting attendance and planning more events like this one.”
Chauffeur Driven and the National Limousine Association donated a show pass to the upcoming 2023 CD/NLA Show in Las Vegas on March 5-8 at the MGM Grand. The winner was Tammy Barrera from BT Car Service. As a newer operation excited to start working with other operators, Barrera and her husband were particularly thrilled because the Vegas event will be the first industry trade show they’ve attended.
Visit facebook.com/ColoLimoAssoc for more information.
[12.9.22]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
November Jobs Report Released: Last month’s job numbers announced this past Friday by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics were better than economists expected as employers added 263,000 jobs to their payrolls in November. The unemployment rate remains unchanged at 3.7 percent. The sectors that added the most jobs were leisure and hospitality (88,000, mostly in food services and drinking places), health care (45,000), and government (42,000). Employment in leisure and hospitality is below its pre-pandemic February 2020 level; the sector was the hardest hit during the pandemic, but has been the most consistently increasing since 2021.
While most consider this good news for the overall economy moving into 2023, steady payroll increases are still coupled with stubborn inflation, higher-than-average fuel costs, supply chain snags, and rising interest rates, which are taking a toll on businesses and consumers alike. Also, several large employers—including many big tech and media firms—have been slowing down on hiring or outright laying off employees. In fact, transportation and professional services were two sectors that saw a decrease in recent months. Some economists are calling it a “white collar downturn,” as most recent job losses have been in the so-called skilled sectors. It is being attributed to a right-siding of jobs in the tech sector, as payrolls were quickly bolstered to accommodate the sudden demand from at-home work and play during the shutdowns. As consumers continue to be comfortable with the risk of COVID, the demand is less for tech and jobs in the hospitality and service sectors have been recouped instead.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNBC, The Hill
REAL ID Gets Another Break: It’s been nearly two decades in the making, but the REAL ID program is getting yet another extension until May 2025. Originally passed three presidential administrations ago, the REAL ID Act of 2005 was enacted to make it more difficult to steal ID cards for travel and get access to certain federal properties by setting standards across all US states and territories, an issue highlighted by the 9/11 Commission in the ‘aughts. It’s faced several delays since. The Department of Homeland Security, which has been tasked with program enforcement, announced the new deadline this past week, blaming enduring issues from the pandemic and the lack of staff at ID-issuing agencies to meet compliance. After May 7, 2025, you will be required to use a REAL ID-endorsed driver’s license—denoted by the star in the upper righthand corner—to board airplanes and enter certain federal buildings. A valid and current passport is also an acceptable substitute. As local departments of motor vehicles require supplemental paperwork to prove identity before the enhanced IDs will be issued, not to mention an in-person visit to the agency, it’s best to budget extra time and patience.
Sources: Department of Homeland Security, AP News
[12.06.22]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
Matt Daus of Windels Marx
Matt Daus, founder and chair of law firm Windels Marx’ Transportation Practice Group, has been appointed as chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Transportation Law Committee, a three-year term. The announcement was made in Daus’ daily newsletter this week. Daus served as commissioner of the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission and is the current president of International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR), as well as a prolific industry writer and speaker, including to Chauffeur Driven. He was appointed by NYC Bar President Susan Kohlmann.
“I am honored to accept the President’s nomination, and look forward to proactively addressing the many legal and policy issues involved in multi-modal transportation technology innovation and governance,” said Daus in the release. “We will tackle important topics that impact equitable and sustainable mobility in the NYC region, such as congestion pricing, subway crime, electric vehicle infrastructure, accessibility, freight, automated vehicles and more. Stay tuned as we begin our journey on a legal path to our final mobility destination—a safe, equitable, affordable and sustainable public/private transportation ecosystem.”
The Transportation Committee is focused on the legal and regulatory issues that surround transportation, from transit strikes to hybrid taxis to procurement policies, according to the Bar’s website. More recently, the complications of congestion pricing have been making the news and is on the committee’s agenda. Daus has written and lectured extensively on the changing, multi-modal transportation sector as NYC and cities across the world grapple with policies and procedures for the diverse landscape and the population it serves. No longer just transporting people from A to B, issues are as much about privacy, equity, and sustainability as they are about public safety and labor.
According to Daus, the Committee’s emphasis will be on technology innovation and multi-modal integration. This includes curbing subway crime; congestion pricing and mitigation; electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure; automated and connected vehicles (driverless cars and Robotaxis); gig economy worker issues & driver pay/benefits; freight and rail infrastructure; and more.
The NYC Bar, founded in 1870, is a voluntary association of lawyers and law students with more than 25,000 members. The NYC Bar’s mission is to equip and mobilize a diverse legal profession to practice with excellence, promote reform of the law, and uphold the rule of law and access to justice in support of a fair society and the public interest in our community, our nation, and throughout the world.
[12.06.22]