Issues

Over $9 Million Collected From Child Support Evaders

Over $9 million in unpaid child support has been collected in the past two years from Los Angeles County’s worst local child support evaders – a small group of parents who go to great lengths to avoid the law and avoid caring for their children by not paying their child support obligations. In March 2008, Supervisor Don Knabe unveiled a new partnership between the County’s Child Support Services Department (CSSD) and the District Attorney’s Office (DA) to criminally prosecute parents who spend years avoiding child support payments. Next month is also the two year anniversary of the County launching the Most Wanted Delinquent Parents website.

In the short time that has passed since partnership was formed between CSSD and the DA, a total of $9,114,669 in unpaid child support has been collected from the most delinquent parents and fully passed on to children and families. Additionally, the court has imposed jail time on 95 child support evaders. Collectively, the jail sentences imposed on these parents add up to 10,195 days behind bars. In virtually every case, these are parents who were given multiple opportunities to comply with criminal court orders but who repeatedly failed to live up to the terms of probation they accepted after conviction or after entering pleas of no contest.

The County uses a team of law enforcement personnel to pursue arrest warrants issued for parents who have been charged with crimes for failing to support their children. Since the program began, prosecutors have referred 2,680 child support arrest and bench warrants to the investigations team for follow up. Investigators have cleared 1,778 warrants by arresting or citing defendants or convincing them to surrender voluntarily in court to avoid arrest. An additional 188 warrants have been cleared by other law enforcement agencies.

In the two years since the County’s Most Wanted Delinquent Parents
website was launched, 33 men and women have been featured on the Most Wanted website, 15 of these 33 defendants have been arrested, 6 more have surrendered to court, and 12 are currently the subjects of active investigation.

The joint CSSD/DA Child Support Arrest Warrant Project was made possible through funding provided by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, on an initiative of Supervisor Knabe. The County’s investment, matched 2 for 1 with funding from the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, fully underwrites the costs of the law enforcement team.

Portraits Of Hope Public Art Project To Transform Beach Lifeguard Towers

This summer more than 100 of the Los Angeles County beach lifeguard towers will be visually transformed as part of a massive public art and civic project developed by Portraits of Hope, in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association.

The project and exhibition has been approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles County Fire Chief and the Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors. It involves creating and installing hand-painted artwork on form-fitting art panels on four sides of more than 100 lifeguard towers and their roof tops. Painting of the panels began in January and installation will begin in May. This weekend, on Saturday, February 20, Los Angeles County Lifeguards, will be painting exterior tower panels between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at 13535 Mindanao Way, in Marina Del Rey.

This is a unique and truly wonderful opportunity for hospitalized youngsters and others to discover, grow and show the world their creative abilities, said Steve Powell, of the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association. What better way to show the world the amazing creative powers of our young people than to put their work on public display on Los Angeles County beaches visited by millions of Americans every summer.

In January, Portraits of Hope began daily program sessions throughout L.A. County schools, hospitals, and youth groups. Participants began to learn about public art, civic education, and teamwork while engaging in creative therapy. They began painting pre-designed panels that, in keeping with the job lifeguards do, represent environmental and healthy lifestyle concerns. Many will be painting with their mouths or feet, added Powell.

Portraits of Hope projects serve as creative therapy for thousands. Portraits of Hope has provided children and adults facing cancer, burn trauma, spinal injuries, HIV/AIDS, head and brain injuries, and other serious medical problems with innovative, fun, and therapeutic activities that let them enjoy and take pride in themselves during their medical care and rehab.

To meet individual needs of children and adults with disabilities, Portraits of Hope has developed specialized brushes and painting methods including telescoping paint brushes for children and adults in wheelchairs or attached to IVs, shoe brushes for children and adults with injured upper limbs or who cannot manipulate a brush with their hands, and flavored mouth brushes for those with limited or no movement in their arms and legs.

Portraits of Hope’s numerous bedside visits provide creative therapy to hospitalized children from toddler to 17. They are a great inspiration to these kids and to everyone else. We are extremely fortunate to have this organization serving our community, said Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.

Ultimately, over 5,000 local children and others from schools, hospitals and youth groups will be involved in the project. Previous Portraits of Hope Projects, including NASCAR racecars, airport control towers, the Osaka Sports Arena, and all of NYC’s taxicabs. The group’s efforts have received national and international attention. For more information, visit www.portraitsofhope.org

County Names New Chief Probation Officer

Donald H. Blevins, who has been credited with turning around Alameda County’s Probation Department, will become Los Angeles County’s Chief Probation Officer on April 19. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors this week appointed Blevins to head the department at an annual salary of $227,000. He replaces Robert Taylor, who retired earlier this month.

Cited for his experience, managerial skills and leadership, Blevins has spent his entire 34-year career in the probation field, more than 14 years of which has been in management. Among his accomplishments in Alameda County were the introduction of evidence-based practices to move toward assessment-driven services to clients; collaboration to create a juvenile mental health court; expansion of service to sexually exploited minors; enhanced literacy program for juvenile hall youth; implementation of a kiosk reporting system for adult offenders; institution of cost-effective alternatives to detention, including electronic and GPS monitoring; and enhancement of revenue and fee collection.

Blevins said he would also emphasize evidence-based practices in Los Angeles County, which he described as basing department procedures and practices on what research has proven to be effective. Something might feel good, but does it work? With limited financial resources, the department must work more efficiently, he said.

Noting that the Los Angeles County Probation Department was the largest probation department in the world, Blevins said he considers his new job, an opportunity of a lifetime, and looks forward to helping the department get back on track. I like a challenge, and this is a challenge on a grand scale, he said.

Blevins said his strength is that he knows the probation field inside and out, starting out as a deputy probation officer in San Diego County in 1976 and reaching the position of probation director of the adult field services before going to Alameda County.

He is active in numerous professional organizations, including the National Institute of Corrections, the Chief Probation Officers of California, the California Parole, Probation and Corrections Association, the American Probation and Parole Association, and the National Association of Probation Executives.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and sociology from the United States International University/Cal Western Campus-San Diego in 1974 and did graduate work in sociology in 1976 at the San Diego State University.

The Los Angeles County Probation Department, established in 1903, has a $692.8 million budget and 6,136 positions.

County Search And Rescue Team Honored

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Supervisor Don Knabe, and other members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently gathered to honor the 85 members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, California Task Force 2, including six canine heroes and their handlers and 31 members of the CA-TF2 Deployment Support Team. The honors came after the team members deployed to Haiti following last month’s earthquake.

While in Haiti, the team saved the lives of nine people and provided medical care and support to numerous other people. The first team deployed on January 13, on a 14-day mission to assist the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the rescue and recovery of earthquake victims in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince. A second team was deployed for eight days beginning January 29, 2010, to provide rescue ready support and humanitarian aid as the country continued its recovery efforts, and returned to Los Angeles on February 7, 2010.

Traffic Congestion Relief Comes To The Cites Of Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach And Torrance

Countrywood Avenue in the unincorporated community of Hacienda Heights will soon undergo significant improvements, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today. The project is part of Los Angeles County’s effort to provide improved infrastructure in its unincorporated areas.

The $2.3 million project will reconstruct and resurface Countrywood’s roadway pavement; and reconstruct adjacent sidewalks, driveways, curbs and gutters. The funds for this project are included in the Fourth Supervisorial District’s Road Fund Budget. This project is scheduled to start in March 2010 and be completed in August 2010.

“It is important that we constantly look for ways to improve the roads and increase motorist safety in our County,” said Supervisor Knabe. “By improving Countrywood Avenue, not only will the residents of Hacienda Heights benefit, but so will the residents of neighboring cities and our other unincorporated communities that travel this route.”

Los Angeles County Overhauls Cash Assistance Program For Poor Adults

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today approved an ambitious plan to dramatically restructure the General Relief (GR) program. Since 1901, Los Angeles County has administered this program to provide temporary cash aid to indigent adults. All 58 counties across California are legally mandated by the State to provide assistance of this kind.

Approximately 89,000 County residents receive cash assistance through the GR program each month: up from 71,000 last year. Direct costs currently are looming near the $200 million mark in local taxpayer dollars: up from $161 million last year. A number of GR participants have been on the program for over 20 years, and 60% of the caseload is homeless. In addition, experts estimate that the County spends almost four times the cost, above and beyond providing GR cash assistance on other services to this population, mostly related to repeated incarcerations in County Jail and recurring visits to emergency rooms and clinics. These additional costs push the price tag closer to $1 billion per year.

"This is a bold step, but we saw a clear opportunity to both control costs, reduce the caseload and better serve this high-need population, many of whom are homeless," said Supervisor Knabe, who introduced the original motion in April 2009 that called for this restructuring.

The program will be restructured to ensure that everyone on the caseload is working towards ways of transitioning off of GR, via employment or pursuit of other benefit programs they would more appropriately qualify for. A large part of the proposal focuses mainly on the County better aligning the GR program to move people off of GR onto Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is federally funded. Many of the GR recipients that are homeless have disabilities that would likely qualify them for SSI. Federal funding would also be available to fund most of the cost of housing them while they pursue SSI eligibility.

"I think we have a genuine chance to help many of these individuals overcome serious challenges and transition to a better life," the Supervisor added.

Traffic Congestion Relief Comes To The Cites Of Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach And Torrance

Countrywood Avenue in the unincorporated community of Hacienda Heights will soon undergo significant improvements, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today. The project is part of Los Angeles County’s effort to provide improved infrastructure in its unincorporated areas.

The $2.3 million project will reconstruct and resurface Countrywood’s roadway pavement; and reconstruct adjacent sidewalks, driveways, curbs and gutters. The funds for this project are included in the Fourth Supervisorial District’s Road Fund Budget. This project is scheduled to start in March 2010 and be completed in August 2010.

It is important that we constantly look for ways to improve the roads and increase motorist safety in our County, said Supervisor Knabe. By improving Countrywood Avenue, not only will the residents of Hacienda Heights benefit, but so will the residents of neighboring cities and our other unincorporated communities that travel this route.

Renew A Federal Stimulus Program That’s Creating Local Jobs Now

By Don Knabe & Gavin Newsom

Despite hopeful signs that the worst of our nation’s economic crisis is behind us, unemployment rates across the nation remain stubbornly high.

In California, December payrolls were down another 40,000 jobs and at 12.4%, our joblessness rate remains among the highest in the country.

For the millions of Californians who seek the dignity of work and pride of a paycheck, a jobless economic recovery is no recovery at all. As local elected leaders, we see the human face of this lingering recession every day – the families and small business owners struggling to make ends meet.

That’s why we’re heartened by the renewed focus demonstrated by President Obama and Congressional leaders from both parties in Washington on helping local communities and our small and medium-sized businesses create jobs. There’s been much discussion lately about how many jobs have actually been created since last year’s passage of the $787 billion stimulus package. And in his State of the Union speech recently, President Obama called on Congress to pass a new federal jobs bill to help put people back to work. The new jobs bill is an enormous opportunity for lawmakers to give a boost to a little-noticed program from last year’s federal stimulus package that Los Angeles and San Francisco Counties are using right now to create thousands of private, nonprofit and public sector jobs.

The 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) set aside $5 billion nationwide – and $1.8 billion for California alone – to create what is called the "Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Contingency Fund (TANF-ECF)." That’s federal stimulus jargon for a work-subsidy program that provides federal funds to pay 80% of the wages for unemployed workers with a dependent child, including subsidizing wages for private sector and non-profit employers. By combining this program with funding for youth employment, Los Angeles County has already placed more than 10,000 County residents in jobs. In San Francisco, we call the program JobsNow, and we’ve put more than 1,650 people back to work for more than 800 local companies and nonprofit organizations.

Sound too good to be true? Thousands of people now working under this program in San Francisco and Los Angeles Counties and other California counties prove otherwise. As a result of this federal stimulus funding, thousands of Californians who would otherwise join the unemployment rolls are supporting their families and local businesses are continuing to thrive.

The JobsNow Program in San Francisco and the 10,000 Jobs Program in Los Angeles County are exactly in line with the Obama Administration and Congressional leaders of both parties’ priorities when it comes to incentivizing job creation. But our success locally in putting people back to work could come to a screeching halt – and throw thousands out of work again – when the program expires this year on September 30.

Amidst a jobless recovery, it simply makes no sense to end this program.

Fortunately, in his proposed Fiscal Year 2011 budget, President Obama is supporting an extension of the program for one year, to September 30, 2011. California’s own Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein are also supporting amendments to extend the program in the federal jobs bill. Representatives Judy Chu and Pete Stark are sponsoring a similar proposal in the House of Representatives.

California is America’s largest economy. Economic recovery and job creation here will help drive economic and job growth across the country. We strongly urge Congress to include an extension for this program in the new federal jobs bill. Let’s continue a federal stimulus program that’s working exactly as it was intended – putting thousands of people back to work now.

Don Knabe is a Republican Los Angeles County Supervisor

Gavin Newsom is the Democratic Mayor of San Francisco

Shoaling Reports At North Entrance To Marina Del Rey

The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors announced today shoaling has been reported at the north entrance to Marina del Rey from recent storms. Currently, the north entrance remains open to mariners with approximately 100-120 yards clearance. The majority of the entrance has approximately 15′ to 17′ depth.
The Marina del Rey Sheriff’s Department has placed additional Aids to Navigation (green buoys) and Hazard Buoys (white buoys) to guide boaters through the north entrance for a minimum depth clearance of 10′ at low tide. Mariners are urged to stay outside the buoy area and should use extreme caution when transiting the north entrance since conditions are changing and buoys can move. Attention to astronomical low tides during monthly full and new moon periods is advised, as well as staying clear of the jetties, and utilizing the south entrance to Marina del Rey. These areas will be monitored by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Marina del Rey Station.
For additional information, contact the Marina del Rey Harbor Master at (310) 482-6000 for north entrance shoaling updates or VHF Channel 16.

Residents/Businesses Urged To Sign Up For Emergency Alerts

With the renewed threat of rainstorms, Los Angeles County officials today urged residents and businesses to sign up for emergency alerts by registering their cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses on the http://alert.lacounty.gov website.

The County’s emergency mass notification system, called Alert LA County, has the capability to use phone, text and e-mail messages to alert residents and businesses when there is an emergency situation in their area and advises of needed actions, like evacuations.

The system was activated 25 times between January 18 – 22 due to rain, flooding and mudslides, with some warnings going to as few as 34 people and some to as many as 513.

All landlines are already included in the system, but people must register their cell phone numbers, Voice over IP phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. This information can be added on the http://alert.lacounty.gov website.

Because the Alert LA County system uses geomapping, each telephone number and/or e-mail address can only be associated with one street address in the system.

The Sheriff’s Emergency Communications Center uses the system to issue local and regional alerts, drawing the boundaries of the area to be notified on a computer map. Recorded alerts provide information on the nature of the emergency and necessary actions.

If calls are picked up by an answering machine, the system will leave a recorded message. If the number called is busy or does not answer, the system will redial the number in an attempt to deliver the message. The system is TTY/TDD compatible.

Until implementation of Alert LA County in May 2009, the County had no consistent way to contact residents and businesses in case of regional or local emergencies.

The notification system improves the County’s ability to communicate faster, better and more reliably, providing the ability to target messages and follow-up information to residents in affected areas, and reduce the potential for miscommunication by distributing accurate and consistent messages.