Last week, our feeling of security was once again shattered when a man with a gun shot his way into Terminal 3 at LAX, killing a TSA agent and wounding others.

This was a senseless act of violence that, if not for the heroic actions of our first responders, could have been much worse. My heart goes out to the victims and their families as they begin to rebuild their lives.

Tragedies like what happened at LAX on Friday often leave us shaken and asking the question, “Why?”

When I was Mayor of Cerritos, our city experienced an air crash that killed people in the air as well as on the ground. I can still vividly remember the horrific things I witnessed that day. The crash impacted the lives of our residents, both physically and emotionally. Many still cope with that tragedy to this day.

When unexpected tragedies occur, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health is an incredible place to turn. Sudden events like the shooting at LAX or the Cerritos Air Crash make us question our sense of safety. Speaking to a professional can help restore your feeling of security.

If you are coping with a recent tragedy, I encourage you to call the confidential 24-hour ACCESS helpline at 800-854-7771 to speak with someone who can provide you with ways to help yourself, your family and others.

After 18 years of imprisonment, today Sara Kruzan is finally a free woman. Freedom is something she’s never experienced before. Sara was forced into prostitution by a sex trafficker when she was only 11 years old. For years, she was abused, exploited, and sold on the streets for money.

Sex trafficking is a disgusting crime happening right here in our state and nation. In the past, young girls arrested for prostitution were judged by society as criminals. Through education, survivor and prevention programs, and legislation, we continue to work to reverse this injustice. Sara’s release is a giant leap towards justice for all the true victims of this horrific crime.

It is time we put the true criminals behind bars and show that we will not let the exploitation of young, innocent girls continue in our own streets and neighborhoods.

Over the weekend, Governor Jerry Brown granted freedom to Sara Kruzan, who has been imprisoned for the last 18 years for killing her former pimp. Sara was originally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger commuted her sentence to 25 years-to-life with the possibility of parole.

Now in a matter of months, Sara will be a free woman. Freedom, however, is something she’s never experienced before. Sara was forced into prostitution by a sex trafficker when she was only 11 years old. For years, she was abused, exploited, and sold on the streets for money.

In the past, young girls arrested for prostitution were judged by society. Through education, survivor and prevention programs, and legislation, we continue to work to reverse this injustice. Sara’s release is a giant leap towards justice for all the true victims of this horrifying crime.

When she is finally released, I look forward to meeting with Sara to discuss new ways to help young girls who are being exploited.

Early this morning, President Obama signed a bipartisan bill into law that ended a federal government shutdown that spanned 16 days and raised the nation’s debt ceiling. The new bill funds the federal government through January 15, 2014 and extends the country’s debt limit until February 7, 2014.

While we all breathe another sigh of relief that the government shutdown was averted, again, we know this is only short-term.  There is no victory here, for either party or for any branch of government.  We got through another deadline, but didn’t solve any of the big challenges facing our nation.

Our elected officials in Washington need to develop a long-term strategic budget by working together.  If they need a lesson in how this is done, they can see the example of local governments across this nation who cannot play these games, but must solve the problems impacting their communities.

This go-round had Los Angeles County a few short weeks away from not being able to provide those most in need with the basic necessities of food and shelter. These are people who are struggling to make ends meet and feed their families in an economy which has still not recovered.  It is my hope that in the next few months, we will see more courage from leaders in Washington to put partisan grandstanding aside and do the tough work of negotiation and problem-solving so that we don’t face this situation yet again in January.

We are now a week into the federal government shutdown and things remain the same. Vital programs and services remain shuttered, impacting everyday people across the country.

With most of our federally mandated programs “excepted,” Los Angeles County’s operations remain virtually unhindered by the shutdown, but the clock is ticking on several key programs.

If the shutdown continues into November, the County’s food stamps and Calworks (welfare) programs will expire, and we will need to find other resources to continue providing these essential public assistance programs.

Also, two of the County’s public housing programs will be impacted. The Community Development Commission, which receives federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will be unable to maintain the housing choice voucher program, better known as Section 8, unless a congressional resolution is passed. The Public Housing Program will also no longer be able to distribute funds, and currently only has four months of reserves available to tap into if the shutdown continues. Families, no longer able to make ends meet, will be forced out of their homes into shelters or the streets.

The government shutdown is already hurting this country with furloughs and cuts to services. In just over three weeks, without a resolution, people will lose the programs necessary to their livelihood. The dysfunction in Washington will cost them their sources of food, shelter and income.

As you know, at the stroke of midnight last night, the federal government shutdown due to the inability of Congress to work together. This government shutdown will have ripple effects throughout the nation, impacting programs and services like National Parks, veteran pensions, coast guard patrols, and passport services.

Fortunately however, the shutdown is not expected to significantly hurt Los Angeles County’s operations. A big reason why is because Medicaid, which accounts for over half of the County’s federal revenue, is a mandatory program, and is thus excluded from the shutdown.

However, two programs offered by Los Angeles County to residents in need, food stamps and CalWorks, could become tied up in the congressional mess. If these programs do not receive an extension by the end of the month, both will expire and the County, the ultimate safety net, will need to find other resources to continue providing these essential public assistance programs.

If Congress can’t come together and reach an agreement soon, this shutdown is not only going to impact “non-essential” services. It will hurt everyday people, like our military veterans, who rely on federal assistance programs that are necessary for their livelihoods.  We need long-term vision and a thoughtful plan, not shutdowns and more last-minute, crisis debates, which do nothing but make the American people even more frustrated with their government.

After celebrating the delivery of the United States Air Force’s last C-17 with thousands of local Boeing employees just last week, I am absolutely stunned and devastated to learn that the production facility will shut down in 2015 following the completion of the final C-17 Globemaster III.

Shuttering the C-17 program is a direct result of sequestration and the federal government’s inability to compromise on a balanced budget. Our leaders at the national level do not witness first-hand the direct effects their dysfunction creates. During a time when we are still putting men and women in harm’s way in the name of national security, these sequestration cuts have seriously limited our ability to protect ourselves domestically and abroad. The C-17 is a vital aircraft, having supported every major natural disaster around the globe during the last two decades and providing the versatility to complete any mission, anywhere: preserving peace, saving lives and delivering hope.

The C-17 program has been synonymous with Long Beach for years, and has been an economic stimulus for Los Angeles County, employing thousands of workers. With a local economy that remains sluggish and the unemployment rate stagnant at 9.2%, now is not the time for Boeing and the federal government to pull the rug out from underneath us and put more people out of work. The closure of Boeing’s Long Beach plant means local jobs will be lost and our region’s economic recovery will take yet another significant blow.  But the impact of the closure extends far beyond Los Angeles County.  It will also have serious consequences nationally, costing jobs within the more than 650 businesses across the country that support the C-17 program.

I am outraged by today’s news, but I will continue to lobby our national leaders in Washington, D.C. who must understand the national economic impacts and global threats of not investing in major programs like the C-17.

Yesterday, Governor Jerry Brown’s administration asked a federal court panel to grant a three-year extension to cut its inmate population by nearly 8500 inmates.  Since 2011, through AB 109, the state has been making reductions to its prison population by moving inmates to local jurisdictions.

I support Governor Brown’s request to a federal court panel for a three-year extension for the state to cut its inmate population.  In the absence of a well-considered plan, the only options become releasing inmates early or dumping them on already resource-stretched counties.  Neither option is in the interest of public safety.

While it is my hope that the federal panel sees the efforts of the state, regardless of its decision, the Governor and Legislature must work with counties to ensure we have the funding and resources needed to handle any additional responsibilities we are given to ensure public safety.  Whether the Panel grants the extension or not, the County will be impacted and we must be ready for either contingency.

My colleagues on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission and I are very pleased that, after nearly two years of discussions and negotiations and after numerous public meetings and input from the public, all of the agreements between the University of Southern California (USC), the Coliseum Commission and the Board of Directors of Exposition Park/California Science Center are now approved.

The approval actions on September 4 by the Board of Directors, under the leadership of Board Chair Fabian Wesson, now will allow one of the most iconic structures in Los Angeles – the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – to be upgraded and maintained during its upcoming centennial decade that begins this fall – and for decades thereafter – under the direct stewardship of the one organization that has been its sole continuous tenant since its opening in 1923 – USC.

The Coliseum Commission made its decision to transfer management responsibilities of the Coliseum and Sports Arena to USC for many reasons. But, first and foremost, the Coliseum will now benefit from two commitments made by USC President Max Nikias and the USC Board of Trustees: To invest approximately $70 million plus of USC funding into the Coliseum for repairs and enhancements before the centennial celebration of the Coliseum in 2021-2023; and even more importantly, to provide annual funding from USC resources as needed to maintain the Coliseum’s physical condition at all times for the remainder of the University’s lease with the Commission (through December 31, 2054) at the same standard used on the University Park campus.

The Coliseum is owned by the public, but it is important to note that, under the terms of the Joint Powers Authority Agreement between the State, the County and the City of LA, no public tax funds will be used to support the operations of the Coliseum and Sports Arena.

As the number of events at the Coliseum and Sports Arena – other than USC games – have decreased in the past 15 years due to the increased availability of other venues and due to other economic considerations, the financial challenges in operating and maintaining the Coliseum and sports Arena have been obvious and the current condition of the building is evident.

In addition to the collaborative efforts of Fabian Wesson and the other members of the Board of Directors, my colleagues and I are grateful for the support provided by the administration of Governor Jerry Brown through Cabinet Secretaries Anna Caballero and John Laird, by State Senator Rod Wright and Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer on behalf of the Legislative Black Caucus, by State Senator Kevin deLeon, chair of the State Senate Appropriations Committee, and by the many civic leaders and hundreds of members of the general public who came forward to voice their views during the many public sessions held by the Coliseum Commission and by the Board of Directors.

My colleagues and I are particularly pleased that, as called for in the Coliseum Commission’s agreement with USC, the university has completed its negotiations with the Board of Directors to ensure that the other important activities and operations in Exposition Park, including three State and County museums, the City EXPO Center, and the playfields and park areas along Vermont Avenue will be enhanced by USC’s operation of the Coliseum.

The Coliseum Commission has faced several other challenges in the past several years and its work in resolving those challenges is continuing. The Coliseum Commission – as the public agency representing the tripartite interests of the State, the County and the City – will continue to exist and oversee USC’s operations. However, the Commission will now be recommending to the State, the County and the City that the membership structure of the Commission be modified and reduced beginning in 2014.

We look forward to having the Opening Ceremonies of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in the Coliseum two summers from now and we hope that this renaissance of the Coliseum under USC leadership will also bolster the pending proposal of Los Angeles to the U.S. Olympic Committee to serve as the U.S. candidate to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.

I want to thank USC for its commitment to our local community. On behalf of my colleagues, we look forward to the preservation and improvement of this iconic building for generations of Southern Californians to enjoy!