MoreReport from the Bike Summit
8/17/10 @ 1:03p by Antonio Villaraigosa
Yesterday, about 200 cyclists filled the board room at the MTA building to discuss the safety and mobility issues bicyclists face in Los Angeles. It was our first LA City-sponsored Bike Summit, and I was inspired to hear so many impassioned, informed views on how our city and region can promote and improve cycling in LA.
It’s clear we haven’t done enough to incorporate bicycles into our transportation planning. But with so much community engagement, and so many good ideas, we can and we will do a better job.
For starters, we need to build more bicycle infrastructure, enforce existing laws, and change drivers’ attitudes towards cyclists. Our reputation as the car capital of the world does not excuse our drivers from common courtesy on the road or from obeying the law.
Also, Los Angeles is an ideal place for cycling, and we’ve got to get Angelenos to reconsider biking as a viable, fun means of transportation. A great first step is the event my office is planning with CicLAvia on Sunday, October 10th. On 10/10/10, we will be closing off certain city streets from Boyle Heights to East Hollywood exclusively for cyclists and pedestrians. Events like this are already a huge success in Mexico City - they can be a success here as well.
And we have to make cycling safer. So over the coming months the City of LA will be launching a PSA campaign to increase bike safety awareness among drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
The PSA campaign will have two key messages:
First and foremost: Watch and share the road. Drivers need to give cyclists at least 3 feet of room on the road. If you can’t pass a cyclist without getting closer than 3 feet, then don’t pass until there’s more room. It’s just too dangerous.
I am standing with the LA County Bicycle Coalition and Councilmember Bill Rosendahl in telling Sacramento that the “3-foot rule” should be a state law.
Second: Protect your Brain, Wear a Helmet. I believe strongly that every cyclist should be required to wear a helmet. When I fell off my bike I hit my head first, then I shattered my elbow. If it wasn’t for my helmet, I might not be here today. I know not every cyclist supports this, just like not every motorcyclist supported their helmet law. But the motorcycle helmet law worked – it has saved lives and a bike helmet law will too.
Several people told me that they don’t want yesterdays event to be the last they hear from me on bikes. I can assure you, it won’t be.
I’ll host another bike summit next year, so we can check on our progress, and I encourage people to keep posting questions and votes at our Google Moderator page. Later this week I’ll be posting responses to the most popular questions.
The Business Tax Holiday Victory
8/6/2010 @ 2:55p by Antonio Villaraigosa
I am proud to report that City Council has just unanimously passed the Business Tax Holiday and other tax-friendly reforms! This action will without a doubt create jobs in Los Angeles, and lay the foundation for future economic growth.
The Business Tax Holiday, developed by my office, is a simple idea. To encourage businesses to start up or relocate to LA, we will exempt all new Los Angeles enterprises from any gross receipts tax for three years.
The effectiveness of this tax reform has already been proven. My office commissioned a study at USC Marshall School of Business that suggested the Business Tax Holiday would yield NO loss in tax revenue. In fact, it would spur enough job growth to create more tax revenue. USC Professor Swenson expects that the Business Tax Holiday will create an estimated 55,000 new jobs and that each new company will generate a net revenue increase of more than $8,000 to the City.
The Business Tax Holiday is just the latest effort by our office to help attract, retain and grow businesses in Los Angeles. Our office has already worked to create the Internet Business Tax to provide tax relief to existing, highly mobile companies, and expanded the State Enterprise Zone so more companies could take advantage of various state and local taxes and power rate incentives.
I would like to especially thank Councilmembers Parks, Alarcon, and Smith for their strong leadership in pushing this through Council. Each has been a critical partner in shepherding this important tax reform towards approval.
Together, with the City Council, we sent the message loud and clear that Los Angeles is committed to leveraging every resource it has to attract businesses and put Angelenos back to work.
To access the USC study view the press release here.
Examining Our Gang Reduction Strategy
7/27/2010 @ 1:00p by Antonio Villaraigosa
Good news from the Controller's office on one of our most important initiatives, the Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) program.
Their just-released audit shows that GRYD has radically changed the way City Hall fights gang violence, implemented all but 1 out of 109 blueprint recommendations, and, best of all, brought gang crime down.
That’s great progress.
Since our efforts started two years ago, gang-related crime has dropped 10.7% inside the 12 GRYD Zones. And at our Summer Night Lights parks, gang-related violence was reduced by 18% in the summer of 2008 and by 11% in the summer of 2009.
Now is the time to take the next step, and evaluate exactly which programs and services are causing the drop in gang violence.
The Urban Institute has been monitoring our efforts for over a year, and within the next 30 days will release the first of many reports evaluating our progress. We will use these reports to improve upon our already nationally-recognized anti-gang programs.
Our goal is to keep our children out of gangs and get them onto the path to a bright future. Our GRYD programs are reducing violence, changing the culture and bureaucracy at City Hall, and giving kids a way out of the gang life and keeping them from joining in the first place.
This is how we're stopping the cycle of gang violence that has plagued our city for too long. Read more about GRYD here.
A New Chapter in a Thriving, Vibrant, and Sustainable Los Angeles
7/26/2010 @ 5:00p by Antonio Villaraigosa
Today I announced the appointment of Michael LoGrande to be the new Director of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. Leaders in business, labor, and architecture -- from San Pedro to the Valley, from the West Side to the East Side-- gathered at City Hall to celebrate this new chapter in urban planning.
As Director of this Department, Michael’s job will be to guide LA’s growth and create a blueprint for the type of city we want to be. Together, we will build a new urban paradigm where mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhoods and sustainable go hand in hand.
Bringing 15 years of planning experience to this position -- 13 years of which were spent working in the Planning Department of the City of Los Angeles -- Michael will be able to hit the ground running on day one. Nobody knows the inner workings of the department, the different neighborhoods of Los Angeles, and the city bureaucracy better than Michael so he is uniquely positioned to implement change, create a more effective and efficient department with customer-service at the core of its mission.
Michael already has bold ideas of how to make the department more streamlined, accountable and transparent. For instance, he already plans on implementing a "Best-in-Class" development system that will illustrate to stake-holders the Department’s decision-making process.
And because he understands that his planning decisions will directly affect the quality of life of our residents, Michael wants your voices to be heard. He will solicit your feedback on how to update community plans, complete development reform, and how to reorganize the Planning Department to better serve the constituents.
Please use this form on my website to tell us what you want to see change in the Planning Department. After all, you-LA’s community members, developers, and business owners--are our customers, and we’re here to serve you.
The future of Los Angeles is bright, and I’m confident Michael is the right man to shepherd the next phase of our great city’s growth.
Bikes Belong On L.A.'s Streets
7/19/2010 @ 2:40p by Antonio Villaraigosa
If there’s one thing everyone now knows after my recent accident, it’s that I like to bike in Los Angeles. The City’s landscape, climate, and neighborhoods offer a cyclist’s paradise. Biking in Los Angeles should be a natural.
Unfortunately most of our City was built with cars in mind. It’s time to recognize that bicycles also belong on L.A.’s streets.
We’re working on enforcement of traffic laws and improving the City’s bicycle infrastructure. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck has reached out to the cycling community and is actively working to make the streets safer.
Last month the Planning Department released its latest draft of the City’s bicycle plan update. While it’s still a draft, it includes a citywide network and neighborhood network, to provide safe and convenient routes for both serious and casual cyclists.
Eventually we plan to build a network of 1,663 miles of bikeways. I encourage everyone to take a look at the plan and give input.
For the first time, we have a dedicated revenue source for building our bike infrastructure through Measure R, the half penny sales tax for transportation. We are setting aside 10% of the city’s local return portion of Measure R for bicycle and pedestrian improvements. That means about $3.2 million for this fiscal year.
Thanks for all the good wishes since my accident. I will be back on my bike as soon as I’m able, and I hope to see more Angelenos out there with me.
An Oasis in the Heart of Downtown
07/15/10 @ 1:45p by Antonio Villaraigosa
On this sizzling Thursday morning, I witnessed the beginning of the transformation of LA’s urban space, as we broke ground on the new downtown Civic Park. The site of this new urban oasis has been underused for years --buried in concrete parking lots, sidewalks, and streets. Now, it will offer 12 acres of trees, grass and boundless green space for residents and visitors to our City.
Slated to be completed in 2012, the park will extend from the plaza of the Music Center to the steps of City Hall. That’s five city blocks—and we’re talking about LA blocks here, not New York blocks—of concrete that will bloom into connected, open green space.
This new space will unify Los Angeles, creating a beautiful community space in the heart of LA’s cultural center, near both public transit and freeways, that will draw Angelenos from every corner of our city. Civic Park will be a place of relaxation and recreation, where residents can enjoy free festivals, children’s activities and performances.
Also, the park will provide an economic boost by helping make the Grand Avenue Project a reality. Construction of the entire Grand Avenue Project--an ambitious vision that sees Civic Park as a hub for connected housing units, retail stores, and cultural institutions--will create 29,000 construction jobs. I 
sometimes joke that I’d like the official bird of Los Angeles to be the crane, because nothing thrills me more than the sight of hard hats and shovels, symbolizing the growth and development of our City.
Today, we took a major step towards realizing our vision of a greener, cleaner Los Angeles, and we reinforced our commitment to building a better economy that will improve the quality of life for all Angelenos.
Our miraculous downtown renaissance has already brought great nightlife, food, music and art to our urban center. Now we’ll have a world-class park to tie it all together.
10,000 Summer Youth Jobs!
07/14/10 @ 4:15p by Antonio Villaraigosa
Today the summer sun shined a little brighter on LA's youth, as I stood with young Angelenos from across our City to announce that HIRE LA will put over 10,000 young people to work this summer. That’s 10,000 youth who will be given a summer job and a step towards a lifetime of employment.
Time and time again, we say that our youth are the future. But right now in Los Angeles, one in every five young people between the ages of 16 and 24 are out of school and out of work. That's thousands of young people without the network of contacts or work experience to lead them to a brighter future. They are the reason we must stay committed to hiring LA’s youth, and ensure these young men and women are put on track to a steady paycheck and a bright future.
Working with local businesses and community based organizations, we have created Hire LA’s Youth, a program that enables our City’s young men and women to gain the skills and experience they need for success in the work world. And since 2006, over 46,000 youth have participated in the Hire LA’s Youth program.
So far this summer, 6,000 young people have registered to work and there’s still room for eligible youth to apply. If you are receiving Calworks or food stamps, live in the City of Los Angeles and have the right to work, YOU ARE ELIGIBILE.
If you are interested, all you need to do is call 311 or log on to www.hirelayouth.com to find the nearest summer youth job opportunity.
But this campaign is not just an opportunity for our youth. It’s also an opportunity for LA businesses to make a commitment to our youth and our City. Businesses like Wells Fargo who donated $125,000 to Hire LA’s Youth program and Kaiser Permanente, the largest employer this summer with over 400 Hire LA youth participants.
If you’re an employer and interested in participating as a summer worksite, visit www.HireLAYouth.com to learn more and sign up.
Hire LA’s Youth Program is reducing the number of out-of-work young adults and creating a pool of well qualified workers. Working together, let’s continue to create fulfilling summer employment for our youth and build long-term success for our local economy.
Mid-Year Crime Stats: Another Year of Less Crime, Across the Board
7/09/10 @ 3:49p by Antonio Villaraigosa
For the 8th consecutive year, crime overall in the City of Los Angeles has dropped. Chief Beck and I are proud to report that, despite the economic downturn, our unwavering commitment to public safety has yielded tangible, positive results as seen in our mid-year crime statistics.
At the mid-year mark for 2010, overall crime is down six percent with total violent crime down 11 percent and property crime down five percent. Compared to the numbers from 2005, violent crime is down an incredible 30 percent. Our mid-year crime stats also show drops in property crime and gang crime.
In addition, in the first six months of the year, the City has experienced a nine percent
decrease in gang-related crimes. Gang related robberies declined by
10 percent, aggravated assault decreased by eight percent and gang related attacks on police officers are down by 21 percent.
The Chief and I are strongly commitment to public safety and to maintaining the size of the police force. With more cops on our streets than ever before we have more personnel and more tools at our disposal to fight crime and keep our City safe. Together, we will continue to make the safety and security of every man, woman and child in our City our number one priority.
Unlocking the Door to Your Most Successful Future: An Open Letter to Graduating LAUSD Students
7/09/10 @ 10:52a by Antonio Villaraigosa
Graduating Students:
First and foremost, congratulations on this incredible achievement earned through dedication, hard work and perseverance.
Whether today signifies the end of your academic career, a short pause, or simply a mile-marker as you continue on to college or other academic pursuits, I hope that your education will not end today. Without a doubt, a solid, lifelong education is the key that will unlock the door to your most successful future.
Education truly has the power to transform lives. I know firsthand this first hand because my education transformed me. It made me — a kid who grew up poor in East LA — into someone who truly believed that one day his dreams could come true. When I earned my diploma and went to college, I realized not just how transformative my education had been for me, but also . I also realized that because of my education, I had the power to transform the world around me because of my education.
When I was not much older than you are now, I was inspired by a group of people who came together to transform California, and who eventually changed our country and the world. I began supporting Cesar Chavez and the Farm Workers’ Movement because it was my passion. This passion developed into a career and I became a union leader, a job that was the foundation of my political career, and that led to work as a union leader that was the foundation for my political career.
Now, I know that we live in very different times than when I was growing up, and we all know that the past few years haven’t been easy. You’ve dealt with growing up and becoming young adults against a backdrop of economic uncertainly, but you’ve also come of age during an era of incredible change and innovation.
In our ever-evolving, increasingly interconnected world, your education is going to be invaluable, but it won’t simply be an asset. Your education will also give you a tremendous amount of power, and as any loyal Spider-Man fan will tell you, “with great power comes great responsibility.” I hope you will not take lightly your responsibility to transform the world and to make it a better place. I hope that, in your time, you will heed a call to do just that.
In my time, I answered a call to make California more equitable for all people: Latinos, African-Americans, women, and the LGBT community. In the coming years, who knows what will be asked of you. Regardless, I hope that all of you will find your own ways to answer that call to transform your communities. I hope you will come back to the neighborhoods where you grew up and become teachers, business-owners, or community organizers. Simultaneously At the same time, I hope you will realize that although this is where your world began, it is not where it has to end. With a solid education, you won’t just have the power to transform your community. Collectively, you will have the power to transform the world, and we need you to become the innovative, entrepreneurial, and global thinkers capable of doing so.
There is certainly no shortage of opinions on how to fix all our problems, but no matter how much policymakers, politicians, and pundits may disagree, we can all agree on one thing:
YOU are part of the solution.
We cannot change the world without you. We need you to unlock that door to your most successful future, and we need you to do it now. We need you to strive for excellence, and we need you to strive for it always. Most of all, we need you to dream big dreams, because every transformative event in human history once began as a dream.
Above all else, remember that I believe in you, our City believes in you, and your families believe in you — but only you can reach for that key and unlock that door.
Congratulations to all graduating students. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for you.
Sincerely,
MAYOR ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA
Reclaiming Open Spaces in Our Urban Landscape
07/08/10 @ 5:22p by Antonio Villaraigosa
President Obama launched the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation and recreation agenda that would use community-based solutions to reconnect Americans with our country’s bountiful natural surroundings.
Today, that plan came to Los Angeles, and I was fortunate to attend a listening session for the Great Outdoors Initiative with top White House officials at Occidental College. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley and other top officials were on hand to speak with Angelenos about creating green spaces and improving our quality of life.
And what a difference an election makes! These administration officials showed us that change is truly in the air, the wind and the environment. Their visit speaks volumes to the potential they see here for an revitalization LA’s urban spaces.
For the past five years, my administration has been working to reclaim nature amidst our sprawling urban landscape. We have added 15 new City parks, planted 280,000 trees in areas that needed it the most, and we have adopted the LA River Revitalization Project that will reclaim the natural beauty of the historical watershed.
Yesterday, at Compton Creek, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson took us one step closer to that goal by announcing that the EPA is classifying the LA River as navigable, and therefore entitled to the same federal funding and protections as other rivers under the Clean Water Act.
This is a revelation for the future urban planning of our City. Using the revitalized L.A. River as a hub, we will build around an emerald necklace of parks, walkways, and bike paths. And with this new green infrastructure in place, we will build thriving transit-oriented, LEED-certified communities that protect wildlife, promote economic growth, and most importantly create a better quality of life for all Angelenos.
But to make this happen we need everyone's help. All of us need to pledge to take action and volunteer for an environmentally-related cause.
We need to keep fighting to preserve and expand open space, since it represents the inclusive spirit of our city - the spirit that dictates it doesn’t matter who your parents are or where you come from. All of us are awarded the same opportunities and access to enrichment through the outdoors to thrive and grow.
Together, we can leverage our energy, vision, and resources to create a new urban paradigm that celebrates our natural resources, improves our quality of life, and yields limitless potential for smart, sustainable growth.
A New Chapter for the LA River
7/7/10 @ 5:00p by Antonio Villaraigosa
There was a time when the Los Angeles River ran freely along a flooded plain, and the lands surrounding it were lush and fertile. It was the primary water source for the Los Angeles basin, the reason our city was able to grow and thrive.
Now, as you all know, the river is barricaded by concrete, stifled by pollution, and surrounded by skyscrapers, highways, and traffic. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Today marks a historic step in our efforts to return the LA River to its former glory. It was my honor to be with Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to announce that the EPA now views the river is a national resource.
At Compton Creek, a major tributary of the LA River, Administrator Jackson said the EPA now considers the LA River a traditionally-navigable waterway. This means the river now qualifies for the same federal protection and federal funding as other significant American rivers.
This sea change will allow us to reclaim LA’s natural beauty, and create verdant, open spaces throughout our urban landscape. Working with community partners and the federal government, we can make the LA river a place where Angelenos hike, picnic, swim, and fish together.
The river can once again connect us to our natural surroundings. And just as importantly, it can connect us to our history and our future.
Starting Summer With A Splash!
6/25/10 @ 1:42p by Antonio Villaraigosa
Summer is here again, and that means one thing, it’s time to launch the swim season in the City of Los Angeles!
Today, I kicked off our fifth year of Operation Splash at the historic Griffith Park Pool. Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, Operation Splash will offer youth and adults 6,000 free swim scholarships at 35 pools in underserved Los Angeles neighborhoods. In addition, 49 participating pools will offer free training for 780 youths to introduce them to the junior lifeguard program where they can learn about pool safety, water rescue, first aid, and CPR. Lastly, seven Los Angeles City pools will extend their season one week through Labor Day, serving an estimated 10,000 participants.
On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, I would like to express my gratitude for Kaiser Permanente’s support of Operation Splash again this year. This year’s $250,000 grant brings Kaiser Permanente’s five-year cumulative total support to almost $2 million to the City of Los Angeles.
This was not just an investment in opening a few pools -- this was an investment in the quality of life for our children and the community. Pools are not just a place to cool down during the hot summer months. They are a place where children can begin the life-long, healthy habit of regular exercise, meet new friends and hold their first job as a lifeguard.
Most importantly, they serve as a sanctuary away from the streets. I’ve always said that City government’s most important responsibility is to protect its citizens and dedicating resources to youth development is a key part of our gang-prevention strategy.
We look forward to another great summer of Operation Splash, bringing fun for L.A. kids and families at our pools. For more information about Operation Splash and the summer pool schedule, call the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks at 323 906-7953 or email at Citywide.Aquatics@lacity.org.
Public School Choice: Applying Lessons We Learned Last Year to Demand Real Results for Reform
6/24/10 @ 11:42a by Antonio Villaraigosa
Last year, I was a leading partner and advocate in the creation of the Public School Choice motion, because I believed that this program was a critical vehicle for reform and represents one of the most significant efforts that the Los Angeles Unified School District has ever undertaken.
But, as with any new program, over the first year we learned that there is room for improvement, and we can – and must – do better for our students and schools. We need to take the lessons learned from the first round of school choice and adjust the program accordingly so that the best and most well-suited organizations are chosen to reform our schools.
So today standing with leaders and educators from around Los Angeles, I strongly urged the Board to do the right thing and improve the school choice process because we need to make it more rigorous, equitable, and beneficial to the students in these schools.
Let’s keep what works, and change what does not.
We need a more robust, reform-oriented program, a program that recognizes if there is no qualified applicant. Reconstitution is the appropriate course of action.
Also, we need to make sure that all applicants are held to the same standards and are judged on their proven track record. This can be achieved through a fair advisory vote process that would not tolerate unethical conduct by declaring the applicant ineligible.
When it comes down to it, this should be simple. The organization with the best plan for educating our kids gets to run the school. School competition works because it offers us a chance not simply to tinker at the edges of our school district, but to turn our public education system on its head.
Here in Los Angeles, we have some of the most innovative charter school operators in the country. They have shown us real results, and they’ve established proven track records of turning around schools. We should give them – and any other organization with a reform agenda and proven record of success – a chance because we cannot place the same old failing school system into brand new buildings and expect different results.
This year, we have an opportunity to improve the public school choice process and deliver our students the reform we promised. Let’s not accept the strides we made as a place to stop. Let’s continue to move forward with real change and improve upon our innovative and promising school choice program. This is about creating the future of LAUSD - an autonomous, empowered network of schools. So, let’s make it fair to all those participating: fair to the applicants, fair to teachers, fair to parents, and most importantly, fair to our children.
Getting LA Off Oil
6/23/10 @ 2:22p by Antonio Villaraigosa
Yesterday, I joined leading environmentalists and documentary filmmaker Josh Tickell to declare “Get LA Off Oil Day” and showcase the City’s alternative fuel vehicles. The folks from GM also brought a brand new Volt electric car, and we saw a car that gets 150 miles per gallon of ALGAE. Now that’s an alternative fuel!
There is no better place in the world for alternative fuels than Los Angeles. We’re the car capital of the world, but we are also known for turning challenges into opportunities.
LA was the first American city to incorporate fuel cell vehicles in the fleet for everyday use (and second in the world - Tokyo was first).
In December, I announced the Southern California Regional Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness Plan. Our plan is to be “plug-in ready” for the next generation of electric cars.
Our Clean Trucks Program banned over 10% of the dirtiest trucks and replaced 16,800 trucks with ones that meet EPA emissions standards or run on alternative fuel.
We are replacing diesel trash trucks, street sweepers, and other city vehicles. Using LNG in trash trucks has saved the City approximately $1.4 million versus dirtier and costlier diesel.
Los Angeles also has the nation’s largest fleet of clean fuel buses. The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority has converted 99% of their buses to clean fuel. Our entire LADOT Commuter Express fleet will use clean fuel buses by 2013.
Just last week we declared “Dump the Pump Day,” encouraging people to choose transit, especially with 12 new transit projects funded by Measure R.
By integrating alternative fuels, and simultaneously building a Countywide transit system funded by Measure R, we are well on our way to getting LA off oil.
The Keyes to Creating Jobs
6/16/10 @ 2:46p by Antonio VIllaraigosa
Today, ground was broken on a new, expanded 252,000 sq. ft Keyes auto dealership in Van Nuys. This is a big deal for our work force, and especially for our auto industry, because Keyes provides LA with more than a catchy jingle--Keyes represents local jobs and hope for that recovery is coming. When I looked out over the empty lot, I could see the space filled with hard-working Angelenos, and a new building that will signify the evolution of a 50 year-old local company.
On top of the immediate economic impact of construction, the finished dealership will create local jobs for years to come. Already, Keyes has a total of twelve dealerships - nine of them located in the City of Los Angeles - that sell over 35,000 new and used cars annually. Out of their 1,100 employees, over 750 employees are in the City of Los Angeles. When this new dealership is completed in 2011, Keyes expects to see up to 75 new jobs and increased sales by more than 20 percent, in the first year alone!
Not only is Keyes creating jobs, but they’re doing it while going Green. When it’s completed, the $35 million dealership will be LEED certified. That’s good news for our LA’s green construction economy, which will be put to work installing a water recycling system, drought-tolerant landscaping, LED lighting, low-flow water fixtures, and roof-top solar panels.
I want to thank the Keyes family for continuing their 50-year investment in our great city. Investments like these are crucial to our communities, our workforce, and on our long-term economic sustainability.
Those shovels that broke ground today were more than that-they were keys, revving our City’s economic engine!
The Office of Economic and Business Policy: Keeping Businesses and Jobs in Los Angeles
6/15/10 @11:54a by Antonio Villaraigosa
Today, I joined Governor Schwarzenegger to visit the site of a company that chose to stay in our great City and preserve 600 jobs for hard-working Angelenos.I want to thank Baxter BioScience for turning to our Office of Economic and Business Policy when they began to have doubts about Los Angeles being the best city for them to call home. I’m glad we made our case, and I think we proved that our jobs and economic development team -- helmed by First Deputy Austin Beutner -- is willing to go above and beyond the call of duty.
Since last February, my office has been meeting with Baxter to figure out we could do to keep their company and the vital jobs it has created here in Los Angeles.We listened to the employees of Baxter and learned how to develop and implement policies that will attract and retain businesses as well as create good-paying jobs right here in Los Angeles. And then we worked hard to actually make that vision a reality!
In fact, one particularly smart, business-savvy policy - the approval of Los Angeles’ State Enterprise Zone - directly contributed to Baxter’s decision to stay. When the East Side Enterprise Zone was expanded to include Baxter BioScience, the company was able to lower their operating costs with their newfound eligibility for special tax credits.
And this is happening to companies throughout the entire City, as we have aggressively expanded our enterprise zones, Los Angeles has gained the remarkable distinction of having the most acreage with enterprise zone designation - out of every city in California!
The bottom line here is that Baxter is just one example, since it is impossible to know how many other companies have decided to stay in LA and hire more people, because of the tax credits and deductions they gained from being in a Special Economic Zone.
Baxter’s represents the results-driven approach to our newly refocused Office of Economic and Business Policy.
And today, we have an exciting announcement that will give Los Angeles businesses another tool to help them thrive and grow: the Business Tax Holiday will attract new enterprise to Los Angeles by exempting them from any gross receipts tax for three years.
The effectiveness of tax holidays has been proven: my office commissioned a study at USC Business School that suggested the Business Tax Holiday would yield no loss in tax revenue. In fact, it would spur enough job growth to create more tax revenue. This tax holiday will create an estimated 55,000 new jobs with 12% unemployment, that is exactly the kind of jumpstart our economy needs.
I am proud of the fact that our office is leveraging every resource at our disposal to put Angelenos back to work, and I am thrilled that Baxter reached out to us and ultimately chose to stay in LA.
So on that note, I would like to thank Baxter again for believing in our City and for inviting us here today to celebrate a major milestone in their evolution as a company.
Good Teachers Make All the Difference
6/15/10 @ 9:36a by Antonio Villaraigosa
Teacher layoffs have a devastating effect on our schools: students are deprived of stablility; staff moral declines; and too often, bright, young, commited teachers are the the first to go.
We can do better. While budget cuts to education are an unavoidable outcome of the economic crisis, we can minimize the impact cuts have on student learning and achievement.
Teachers are the single most valuable resource at our schools, and we can and should ensure that the best and brightest among them remain in ou classrooms.
Today, Boardmembers Yolie Flores and Tamar Galatzan will introduce a resolution to the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education that directs the district to take action and address the disparate impacts seniority based layoffs have on our students and schools.
The resolution calls for the immediate development of a negotiations strategy to reform and improve the collective bargaining agreement that impedes the ability to protect the stability of teaching staffs at all District schools. It also directs the Superintendent to engage the American Civil Liberties Union, Public Counsel, the State Board of Education, UTLA, and other advocates to join the District in urging California lawmakers to immediately support legislative changes that allow districts the flexibility to protect equal access and educational opportunities for all students by basing lay off criteria on qualifications other than seniority.
We cannot stand by while our children suffer from teacher layoffs that adversely affect a school's ability to provide a stable workforce of quality teachers. Our primary concern must be that every student has access to a high quality education - one that enables them to graduate college-prepared and career-ready – and I urge the School Board to pass this resolution and continue to protect the rights of our students.
We all believe that every student has the fundamental right to a quality education and a stable staff of quality professionals, so let’s work together to fix a broken system that fails to recognize the invaluable contributions talented teachers make to our students.
Congratulations LAVITA Graduates!
6/11/10 @ 3:10p by Antonio Villaraigosa
Today we took a monumental step forward in our efforts to fight gang violence. I was proud to join Chief Charlie Beck, Sheriff Lee Baca, and staff members from the Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development as we promoted our first graduating class of comprehensive gang intervention workers.
The Los Angeles Violence Intervention Training Academy (LAVITA) professionalizes the work of gang intervention workers by developing an academic curriculum and creating the oversight necessary to draw clear lines of accountability. By providing a critical platform for continued learning and improvement, both in the classroom and in our communities, this program challenges the true commitment of each individual. And by working side by side with our police department, graduates will bridge the gap of cooperation for the sake of saving lives.
This academy is the first program of its kind in the entire country, and is filled with some of the most talented and most inspiring people in this City of Angels. LAVITA graduates are people who made the choice to join us on the front lines of our gang-fighting effort. These are people who believe in our youth, our City, and our dream for a brighter tomorrow.
So, today, we not only congratulate these LAVITA graduates but we ask that they continue to help us in this fight to end gang violence. We ask that them to continue to build on a comprehensive anti-violence strategy that works to not only stop gang crime, but stop its root causes.
We ask them to believe in themselves, our youth, and our City. They are the better angels our City so desperately needs.
I Pledge To Never Text and Drive
6/07/10 @ 1:20p by Antonio Villaraigosa
Today I joined LAPD Chief Beck, LAFD Chief Peaks and Kenneth P. McNeely, California President of AT&T to deliver a simple message: texting while driving is dangerous, unnecessary, and unacceptable.
As Angelenos, we may not share the same heritage or the same beliefs, but we do share this City--from the Hollywood sign to the Venice boardwalk, from Brentwood to Boyle Heights. And sharing this city means sharing our roads.
So when someone texts and drives, they’re putting their fellow Angelenos at risk--not to mention themselves and their family.
The nonprofit organization National Safety Council blames 28% of annual traffic accidents on motorists talking or texting while driving. While a recent Virginia Tech study showed that drivers are 23 TIMES MORE LIKELY to have an accident while sending text messages. This is as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
It’s a no-brainer then to support AT&T’s No Texting While Driving campaign. I’ve taken the pledge to never text and drive, and I’m asking the over 37,000 City employees to do the same.
And since this problem is especially rampant among teenagers, LAUSD is also joining AT&T's campaign by asking students to take the pledge as well. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 26% of American teens have texted while driving and 48% of all teens 12 to 17 years old say they’ve been a passenger while a driver has texted.
This is truly frightening. We need to let our children loud and clear know that nothing--especially a text--is more important than their safety.
I applaud AT&T for launching this campaign to encourage responsible, safe cell phone use, and I stand behind its slogan that “When it comes to Texting and Driving…It can Wait.”
Take the pledge to make our roads safer at www.att.com/txtingcanwait
iWATCH: I Protect My Community
6/03/10 @ 1:20p by Antonio Villaraigosa
This morning, I was at LAX with Chief Beck, Assistant Chief Michael Moore, Deputy Chief Mike Downing and Chief George Centeno (Airport PD) to launch iWATCH, a new anti-terrorist program that will undoubtedly increase our City’s counterterrorism capabilities.
As the recent event in New York City Time Square has shown us, terrorism continues to be one of the gravest threats facing our major cities. Even with bigger police forces and new technology, we know that our law enforcement officers cannot be everywhere and see everything. It was the keen eye of a t-shirt vendor in Time Square that allowed police to be alerted to an SUV filled with three propane tanks, fireworks and gallons of gasoline that if ignited would have caused horrific damage to that New York City landmark.
With Los Angeles consistently ranking very high on terrorist target lists, we need the help of everyone in our community to watch over our city. Considered to be a 21st Century Neighborhood Watch, iWatch adds another tool to our tool belt to protect against terrorist threats by educating members of the public about specific behaviors and activities that should be reported.
Los Angeles is one of the first cities to adopt a program that educates communities and works with law enforcement to prevent terrorism in our City. I am proud to introduce iWATCH to our City because it is a program that focuses on specific, suspicious behaviors and not on personal characteristics or racial profiling.
I encourage you to go to iWATCHLA.org to educate yourself on how you can help keep our community safe.