jim lazarus. >> good morning, commissioners. as you have just heard, the purpose of the institutional master plan is to alert the public as to what the institution is doing and the current impact and future plans. the chamber of commerce, in reviewing the document that has been before you before does this. this alerts the community and the city and this commission as to the academy of arts and their current activities and future plans. san francisco, after a ballot measure directed the development of an economic plan for the city. the plan that came out of the plate -- the mayor's office had a knowledge-based economy and a visitor-based economy. the academy of arts university is a home run on both fronts. this is part of the growing knowledge base of san francisco and its programs bring visitors to the city as well. $211 million of direct economic benefit, from their programs in san francisco. over 2000 full-time and part- time employees -- one of the few employers that have grown jobs in the last four years. i. anderson the fru

jim lazarus, chamber of commerce. the chamber has supported this project since it started years ago from the county line downtown into chinatown, and we hope that the next resolution from the board of supervisors will be urging the cta and the mta to design the next phase. if this subject was going to go as far as portsmouth square, it would be good enough, but i do not think that in our children's lifetime we will see a subject in to fisherman's wharf. that we will see this line extended into lombard and van ness. that should be the 30-year vision, not fighting over whether we will complete phase two of a previously approved -- and as you heard the testimony of years and years of public meetings here at commissions and a citizens group supporting this project. this is serving the fastest- growing part of san francisco -- districts 6 and 10. in the last census, that part of san francisco added -- pardon me, all of san but cisco added about 30,000 residents. virtually all of that population growth was in this corridor.

jim lazarus, san francisco chamber of commerce.thank supervisors chiu and cohen for presenting the amendments today. we have attempted to reach out to the labor unions and supervisors since last may to work on alternative to the original proposed language, which would have resulted in a $15 million tax, mostly on small businesses in san francisco, putting many of them either out of business or having to reduce their payrolls to meet a cash mandate that was required by the original legislation. we cannot say that this version today is perfect for every employer, either, because if you are an employer with narrow margins, having to put in effect up to three years of money away per employee is going to be a hardship for many employers and have an impact on business, but we understand the need to put in better notice. we understand the need to clarify the provisions and make them enforceable. we understand the need to provide a rollover january 1 of every year. we understand the need to create more certainty that benefits will be avail