Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe issued the following statement today in response to announcement by the Boeing Company on the future of the C-17 program:

While I am disappointed by today’s announcement, I also know we are far from the end of the fight to save the C-17. Boeing must give its suppliers 34-36 months advance notification if it intends to end contracts and shutdown production of the C-17. I consider today’s announcement simply one initial step in what might potentially lead to a shutdown. 36 months is a long time and many things could happen in that time to reverse the fate of the program. The C-17 has already proven that it is essential not only to the military, but also to homeland security and disaster response. Obviously the nation does not have the supply of C-17’s that it truly needs, otherwise, the C-17 would not be operating at 186-percent capacity, as it is right now.

Besides the huge potential hit the economy would take from the loss of 6,500 jobs at the Boeing plant in Long Beach, shutting down the C-17 could prove a costly error for National Security. Mistakes have been made in the past from shutting down aircraft production lines and we must make sure we do not make the same mistake again. Shuttering the C-17 plant means the United States would lose its last defense cargo aircraft production facility.

It is now up Congress and the Department of Defense to provide funding for what the nation already knows: we need this plane. It is critical for the future of this program to continue with a commitment of additional anticipated funding. It is my hope that President Bush will step in to make that commitment a reality.

Supervisor Don Knabe today announced that the Board of Supervisors waived the court fees for a hearing room at the Southeast Norwalk Superior Court for the City of Norwalk’s Family Intervention Program.

The Family Intervention Team is a service provided by the City of Norwalk that offers families, schools, and youth with needed guidance and intervention to address the juvenile’s harmful behavior. During the hearings, the youth is given firm consequences for their continued adverse behavior and the intervention is continued through school visits, home visits, and more hearings as needed.

The City of Norwalk is providing a valuable service for these children and the program has great results said Knabe. Holding these hearings in the courthouse has a very strong impact on the minors and their parents because it shows them the seriousness of their behavior.

These hearings are scheduled to take place every Thursday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm in Hearing Room 104-D at the Southeast Norwalk Superior Court beginning on June 30, 2006 through July 1, 2007.

Supervisor Don Knabe today announced that the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved his appointment of Palos Verdes Estates resident Dr. Larry Gasco to the Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission.

Dr. Gasco is a recently retired social worker who received his Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of California, Los Angeles. During his 37 year tenure with the County he worked as a licensed clinical social worker for the Departments of Pubic Social Services, Health Services and Mental Health. He is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers, and he serves as the Chair of the Latino Constituent Committee to the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Program.

Dr. Gasco’s decades of experience and knowledge will be invaluable to this important commission, said Supervisor Knabe. We are very lucky to have him.

The number of newborns safely surrendered in Los Angeles County in 2006 grew again today. Supervisor Don Knabe, who led the formation of the Safe Surrender Program, announced today that a baby girl was handed over early this morning at Women’s and Children’s Hospital near downtown Los Angeles.

The newborn girl was healthy at the time of her surrender and will be placed with an adoptive family by the Department of Children and Family Services. This morning’s Safe Surrender is the 8th in 2006 and the 44th since the program began in Los Angeles County.

I am thrilled this mother made the right choice for this baby girl, but the media also deserves much of the credit for the success of Safe Surrender, said Supervisor Knabe. Without the ongoing commitment of our local media to talk about Safe Surrender and to tell mothers they have a confidential solution that gives these newborns a chance at life, this program would not be nearly as successful as it is.

Safe Surrender allows someone to surrender an infant at hospitals or any fire station in Los Angeles County up to three days after the baby’s birth, as long as the baby shows no signs of abuse. Supervisor Don Knabe championed the formation of the County’s Safe Surrender Program.

Today’s surrender is the third in the last two weeks. A newborn girl was surrendered to paramedics in Compton on May 5 and a baby boy was surrendered at a West Covina Hospital on May 12.