July 07, 2016
City News Service
City and county officials announced a goal this week of helping 15,000 young people get jobs this year as part of the Los Angeles Summer Youth Employment program, which is available to people 14 to 24 years of age.
The program is open to all youth in the county, but the priority is on young people in the foster system or from low-income neighborhoods.
Youth workers will each receive wages totaling about $1,100, as well as training in financial literacy and workplace skills. Assistance with work clothes and bus tokens are also provided if needed.
Partners include the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, 7-Eleven, Starbucks, Marshalls, Target, Sony and Disney, with jobs varying depending on the young person's goals and interests. Positions are also being made available in county and city departments, including the fire departments.
“Jobs empower young people,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “They give them the success they need. They experience what it feels like to support their families ... And that is such a meaningful down payment on their futures.”
County Supervisor Don Knabe also said helping young get employed is a worthwhile endeavor.
“Investing in our young people has a great return,” he said. “For them having a job — that helps them develop skills, good work habits and to realize their potential.”
The county put in about $25 million, with the city contributing $8.5 million, to the program.
The summer youth program has been around for more than three decades, but has expanded greatly in recent years. Previously, officials had committed to between 5,000 to 12,000 jobs for youth around the county.
July 07, 2016
By Charlene Muhammad
Contributing Writer
State and local civil leaders held a press conference recently, in front of an empty lot to discuss their latest efforts to combat homelessness and the longstanding problem of blighted and vacant properties throughout Los Angeles.
“Homelessness is real and it’s growing in our community, and we have to stand up and provide affordable housing, shelter and services to the people who are homeless,” Ridley-Thomas said.
“After all, they are our families. They are members of our community, and we can do better than that, and we are going to do that,” he stated.
The lot on east side of Vermont Ave. between 84th and 85th Streets was cleared by the owner two days before the press conference, according to City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. However, it had been blighted for decades and had become the site of a homeless encampment and a threat to public safety, he and other city officials said.
In May, two homeless people were set on fire in the lot, when Phillip Cole, a transient, allegedly threw flammable liquid on them, according to police.
LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Mayor Eric Garcetti, California Assembly Majority Whip Miguel Santiago, Cmdr. Phillip Tingirides, LAPD South Bureau, and Capt. Marc Reina, LAPD 77th Street Division, and homeless advocates also attended the July 1 media event.
“I’m happy that people have shown up to respond, but I think that’s just a reflection of the frustration that we have with the lot,” said Harris-Dawson.
“This lot has been here for a full generation. Children have been born, gone to school, gone to college, graduated and have careers in the time that it’s taken to do something with this lot, and so we want to make sure that the owner understands loud and clear that we’re not going to tolerate slum conditions and the entire city is waiting for him to get this done,” he further stated.
According to the former community activist, also former executive director of the Community Coalition, located a few blocks from the vacant lot, owner Eli Sasson cleaned up the site when city officials announced the press conference.
“He moved the homeless back into the alley, and onto the other side of his lot that we weren’t going to be on. It just shows you that everybody fully expects that nothing is going to happen, that what he’s done for 24 years he’ll do for 24 more years if he’s allowed to, and it’ll contribute to blight,” he said.
“It’s not fair to homeless people. It’s not fair to neighbors. And it’s not fair to people who have to work in this Los Angeles County building,” Harris-Dawson said.
During a tour of the block, the delegation saw a pit in the back of the lot, where some took shelter. It was filled with clothing and other items.
According to Harris-Dawson, city officials have very limited powers to compel property owners to do something, but they can apply community pressure.
“City, County, and State — our arms are locked together in an extraordinary partnership to take on this homelessness crisis,” said Garcetti.
A day earlier, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas traveled to Sacramento where the state Assembly, acting on a request from the County and the City, passed House Resolution 56, urging the governor to declare a statewide emergency due to homelessness. Santiago and Assembly Budget Chairman Phil Ting authored the resolution.
Los Angeles leads the state with 47,000 homeless on any given night, according to Ridley-Thomas. Recently, L.A. County launched a petition drive asking residents to contact the governor and demand that he declare a state of emergency. More than 13,000 people have responded so far.
June 30, 2016
By STEVEN HERBERT
City News Service
An initiative that would legalize marijuana and hemp and impose taxes on them will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.
What backers have dubbed the "Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act" would also establish packaging, labeling, advertising and marketing standards and restrictions for marijuana products, including prohibiting marketing and advertising marijuana to minors.
The initiative also authorizes resentencing and destruction of records for prior marijuana convictions.
The measure would impose a state excise tax on retail sales of marijuana equal to 15 percent of the sales price and state cultivation taxes on marijuana of $9.25 per ounce of flowers and $2.75 per ounce of leaves.
The initiative allows for local regulation and taxation of marijuana and exempts medical marijuana from some taxation.
Passage of the initiative would result in net reduced costs ranging from tens of millions of dollars to potentially exceeding $100 million annually to state and local governments related to enforcing certain marijuana-related offenses, handling the related criminal cases in the court system, and incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders, according to an analysis conducted by the Legislative Analyst’s Office and Department of Finance.
The analysis also found passage would result in net additional state and local tax revenues potentially ranging from the high hundreds of millions of dollars to over $1 billion annually related to the production and sale of marijuana. Most of these funds would be required to be spent for specific purposes such as substance use disorder education, prevention and treatment.
Hemp is a variety of the cannabis plant that is grown specifically for the industrial uses of its products. It can be refined into a variety of commercial items including paper, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food and animal feed.
The initiative required valid signatures from 365,880 registered voters — 5 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2014 general election — to qualify for the ballot, Secretary of State Alex Padilla said Tuesday when announcing the measure had qualified for the ballot.
June 23, 2016
by Charlene Muhammad
Contributing Writer
7-Eleven, Inc. franchisee Moiz Ali celebrated the grand opening of a new store in South Los Angeles.
City Councilman Curren Price, Tracy Mitchell, president of Mothers in Action, and Armond Ross, president of the Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce and the Ross Group, Inc., were among dignitaries who joined owner Moiz Ali as he welcomed the community into his store on June 16.
“What we wanted to do today specifically was show the community what resources they have. Not only get a great deal from us, but be able to interact with people in our community,” Ali said of the dignitaries who attended.
Ali said he decided to open on King and Figueroa because the community really needs a great store. “We wanted to put a safe environment for parents and kids to come and shop. Plus, we’re 24 hours and with all the activity that’s going to be happening at the Coliseum and the area, we really wanted to open up a store and give the community what they need,” Ali stated.
The grand opening took place on the parking lot of the buzzing corner, which sits just across from the Los Angeles Coliseum, adjacent to the historic Broadway Federal Bank, and just up the street from the California African American Museum.
During the celebration, customers enjoyed discounted favorites, including burgers, pizza, ICEEs, and savory items from 7-Eleven’s private 7-Select GO!Yum and GO!Smart Premium Lines, launched in 2015. The items include Gluten-free, GMO-free, and organically sweetened treats found normally at specialty, rather than convenient stores.
This marks the third store for Ali, who has grown up in 7-Eleven for 30 years. His other two stores are in West L.A. and Torrance, and his father’s three are located on L.A.’s Westside.
Ali said they found people were excited about the store, and he has never felt that before.
“I was telling my father that in our 30 years of getting a store, I’ve never felt so embraced in the community before. When we opened a store, I felt that people were really interested in coming to the store, being a part of it, hiring from the community,” Ali said.
Marquel Robinson was one new hire among the store’s multicultural staff, who met customers with a radiant smile that matched his personality. He got the job through the Economic Workforce Development Department (EWDD).
According to Ali, his store and 7-Eleven have just donated $711 to open up a college fund for Robinson, who intends to study at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College and then the University of Southern California.
“It feels really good. It’s something I didn’t expect. At first I thought, I used to be a customer here, it was a regular store, but after I got to know the people here and know the people that run this and how friendly they are, and how much they actually do care about you, it was really, really surprising,” Robinson stated.
“I feel like it’s another home,” he continued. The best part of his work day is meeting new people and being able to work with friendly, nice co-workers.
Robinson thanked the EWDD for opening doors for him. “It is a very good organization. I wish there were ways for it to be in different states, because I have friends that would really, really benefit from the EWDD,” he said.
“I think it’s a great service to the community. We appreciate the services that are being provided here, the jobs that are being created … I’m so excited by the events taking place in this whole area,” said Councilman Curren Price.
Tracy Mitchell, president of Mothers in Action, likewise was glad to see 7-Eleven opening in the community. She said Ali’s stores have a track record of partnering with Mothers in Action for its back to school efforts.
“My mother (Brenda Marsh-Mitchell), the late founding president of Mothers in Action, used to work closely with 7-Eleven and they were always very positive in the community and made donations, not only money, but also supplies and stuff to different programs that we conduct,” Mitchell said.
“I think it’s a positive thing to have businesses showing corporate responsibility in our community,” she added.
Ross was instrumental in bringing Ali’s store to South L.A. Good, clean, 7-Eleven convenience stores in South L.A. are a plus for residents, he stated.
“We’re happy to have 7-Eleven as a client. We’re happy to bring their quality brand of items and goods to the community, especially to South L.A., where we don’t have enough grocery stores for the population,” Ross said.