“As a job creator and tourism generator, the film industry is vital to the economic well-being of Los Angeles County and our 88 cities,” said Supervisor Knabe. “The world’s view that Los Angeles is Hollywood – the mecca of film and television – is critical to attracting visitors and boosting the local economy. We cannot take for granted our position as the center of the entertainment industry.”

In May, the California Film Commission adopted a revised statewide Model Film Ordinance and Best Practices based on extensive stakeholder outreach together with Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), FilmL.A., and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC).  The purpose of a standardized statewide ordinance was to provide the entertainment industry with a uniform set of policies and procedures to secure on-location production that will streamline the permitting process and send a clear signal that this is a coveted industry California intends to retain.

According to the LAEDC, the entertainment industry accounts for 176,700 jobs and $30 billion in spending in the Southern California region and is the third largest industry in Los Angeles County, behind international trade and tourism.

“Many of these retail stores are run by charitable organizations, such as the Salvation Army, and are looking to provide job training and social services to the residents in the community,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Now, more than ever, our residents need access to these stores for clothes and other goods while the economy continues to sputter.”

Supervisor Knabe’s motion instructs the Department of Regional Planning to revise the County zoning code to allow secondhand retail stores in the neighborhood business zone subject to an administrative review or discretionary permit, depending if the facility is proposing drop-off collection or outdoor storage areas.

“These proposed zoning revisions will also make Los Angeles County greener,” said Knabe. “As more used goods are sold in secondhand retail stores, fewer items will be discarded in the County’s landfills.”

The Regional Planning Commission will hold a public hearing prior to September 30, 2012 and recommend revisions to the Board to consider.

Local small businesses are currently eligible for a bid price reduction or ‘preference’ on the cost component of their submission.  The County is required to select the lowest responsible and responsive bid for projects and services.  Today’s Board action lowers the bid of a small business by eight percent.  This preference is used only to determine the lowest bid during evaluation and does not change the amount of the contract award.

“Small businesses are a huge employer in Los Angeles County and play a vital role in our economy,” said Supervisor Don Knabe.  “During these challenging times, when jobs are absolutely critical, we know that two out of three jobs in this County are created by small businesses.  Our action today will help small vendors who want to do business with the County and we’re going to see them get more contracts. This supports small businesses, encourages them to hire more employees and boosts our local economy.”

Other County incentives for small businesses include a 15-day prompt pay turnaround on invoices for certified vendors. Also, County buyers are authorized, on a spot purchase basis, to acquire up to $5,000 in goods or services without getting the required three quotes only if purchased directly from a certified local small business.

Several small business programs are administered by the County Office of Small Business which conducts training and workshops for local businesses, as well as certifies small businesses to be eligible for bid preferences and other benefits of the program.  More information is available at Office of Small Business’ website at www.laosb.org  or 855-230-6430.

The program was developed to address the extremely high unemployment rate for young people in Los Angeles County, which has reached 26.9 percent. Positions will be located throughout Los Angeles County at sites including County departments, local cities, non-profit, and for-profit organizations. These new jobs will include clerical, maintenance, grounds keeping, child care, teacher’s aid, and librarian assistance work.

Young people in foster care, on probation or those whose families receive welfare or general relief will be the priority for the program. Interested youth may find more information on the County’s website, lacounty.gov, where they will also be able to search for jobs by zip code.

“In these tough economic times, young people are really struggling to find employment, which limits their ability to gain necessary experience for the future,” said Supervisor Knabe. “This program will give them that experience and life skills, while providing local organizations with invaluable resources and support.”

“The unemployment rate among young people is staggering,” said Supervisor Knabe.  “Hopefully, we can provide more opportunities for young people to learn skills, build confidence and develop work experience that will benefit them for a lifetime.”

Through Knabe’s advocacy efforts, the County has provided funding that created almost 17,000 employment opportunities for young people in the past five years.  The motion will be voted on at the Board of Supervisors’ next meeting on Tuesday, June 28^th.

Last year, Supervisor Knabe’s 10,000 Jobs Program which utilized federal stimulus dollars, created temporary subsidized jobs for 11,000 adults and 15,000 disadvantaged youth. The program became a lifeline for many local companies and prevented people from going on welfare. More than 1,500 people were able to move into permanent, unsubsidized employment because of the 10,000 Jobs Program.

“This was one of the greatest uses of stimulus funding in our nation,” said Knabe. “This program utilized smart spending and used taxpayer money wisely, in the end, saving money. This was not a hand out, but a hand up.”

In addition to pursuing this funding, the County will send a five-signature letter to Governor Jerry Brown, President Barack Obama and the County’s Congressional delegation urging them to utilize Workforce Investment Act discretionary funds to support projects and urging them for support for funding.

In less than a week – absent action from Congress – we will have to say farewell to a Federal Stimulus program that employed nearly 27,000 adults and disadvantaged youth since we implemented the program in Spring 2009.  And I cannot understand why this has to happen.

Our 10,000 Jobs Program here in Los Angeles County was funded through the Economic Recovery Act’s new Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – Emergency Contingency Fund (TANF ECF). This new fund has proven to be one of the Act’s greatest successes in creating jobs and stimulating the economy.  It created subsidized employment for thousands of people, created opportunities for private businesses and non-profit organizations to conduct business in the middle of a deep recession and reduced both the State and the Federal government’s costs to provide welfare benefits.

Policymakers in Washington have told me that this program has been the most effective use of the Stimulus dollars they have seen.  Business owners have told me that, without this program, they wouldn’t have been able to stay open.  People who have gotten jobs have told me that earning a paycheck and taking care of their family has been much better than collecting a welfare check.   In fact, many adults employed through this program have transitioned to permanent, unsubsidized jobs.  To me, that is proof alone that this program is a success.  We just need Congress to take action and extend this program.

In all, I have not seen any downside to this whatsoever.  That is, until next week, when thousands of people will be once again out of work.  I expect most of them will be seeking welfare benefits again, at a significantly higher cost to state and federal government.  Does this make any sense?

I don’t want to say farewell to a program that has done so much good for so many people.  If Congress does the right thing, we could keep these folks working, and employ more.  And we could save taxpayers money.  The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if TANF-ECF is continued into the next federal fiscal year, it could reduce Food Stamp costs by roughly $170 million due to its positive effect in increasing the income of poor families.

So I respectfully ask my friends in Congress – both Democrats and Republicans – what are you waiting for?  Please take action to reauthorize the Stimulus funding that made the 10,000 Jobs Program such a great success.  You will keep people working, you will create more jobs and you will keep the economy moving closer towards recovery.

“This program was made possible by economic stimulus dollars and has created jobs for thousands of people, helped businesses and non-profit organizations and actually reduced both the State and the Federal government’s costs to provide welfare benefits.  It would be a tragedy if Congress let this program come to an end,” said Supervisor Don Knabe.

The Economic Recovery Act created a $5 billion Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF).  A provision in the Fund made it possible to utilize it for subsidized employment.

This enabled Los Angeles County to create the 10,000 Jobs Program, which resulted in nearly 27,000 subsidized jobs for 10,500 adults and another 16,500 disadvantaged youth.

These subsidized jobs have helped private businesses and non-profit organizations in the middle of a deep recession.  Nearly three-fourths of all subsidized employment placements have been with the private sector employers.

Absent action from Congress next week, TANF ECF will expire on September 30, 2010, resulting in the loss of jobs and income for 7,000 adults in Los Angeles County.

“If Congress were to reauthorize this for another year, we could keep these folks working, and employ more, and we could save taxpayers money,” said Knabe. “But they need to act now.”

On March 3, 2009, Supervisor Knabe introduced the 10,000 jobs program, which utilized almost $200 million in federal stimulus funds to create temporary subsidized employment opportunities through the South Bay Workforce Investment Board, resulting in over 11,000 jobs in private, public, and nonprofit businesses across LA County.

Date: Thursday, August 12, 2010

Time: 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm

Location: South Bay Workforce Investment Board/Beach Cities One-Stop Business and Employment Center

320 Knob Hill, Suite 4

Redondo Beach, CA 90277