Issues

County Grant Will Provide Homeless Families In Whittier With Housing And Services

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $1 million grant to the Whittier First Day Coalition, for a new transitional housing program in the City of Whittier, Supervisor Don Knabe announced recently.

The Families Together Transitional Housing Project, which will be run by Whittier First Day, will provide transitional housing and intensive services to homeless families for up to two years. The funding for the project comes from the Fourth District’s allocation of County homeless funds, along with support and funding from the City of Whittier, foundations and the local business community.

This is an unprecedented collaboration between Los Angeles County and the City of Whittier to help families in their community break the cycle of homelessness and get back on their feet, said Supervisor Knabe. Our local communities are leading the effort to end homelessness, and Whittier has been a key partner to that end. The work we have accomplished so far to develop the Families Together project has been a successful model of city-county partnership that we hope to build on in future endeavors.

Whittier Mayor Owen Newcomer added that, the Whittier City Council was pleased to assist by channeling some federal funds to this program to help transition homeless families into stable housing and jobs. First Day’s new project will give people the opportunity that they need to work for a better future.

Safe Surrender Program Off To A Successful Year

Just weeks into 2008, the Los Angeles County Safe Surrender Program is already off to another successful year with three newborns having already been safely surrendered. These recent surrenders also included the unique occurrence of two surrenders happening on the same day. With the three surrenders since the beginning of the year, a total of 65 newborns have now been safely surrendered since the program began in 2001.

The first surrender of 2008 was a baby girl who was brought to Los Angeles County Fire Station 20 in the City of Norwalk on January 9. She was the 63rd safely surrendered baby. Baby 64 was a newborn boy surrendered at an urgent care facility in the City of Huntington Park on January 20. That same day another baby girl was surrendered at a hospital in the City of Monterey Park.

This is not the first time multiple surrenders have happened on the same day. Last year, two babies were surrendered in different parts of the County on January 17, 2007. Two different surrenders also occurred on February 10, 2007.

The Los Angeles County Safe Surrender Program was initiated by Supervisor Don Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

Knabe Praises Bust Of Multi-Million Dollar Child Care Fraud Ring

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe offered congratulations today on the successful bust and arrests of a widespread child care fraud ring that involved the theft of over $3 million in taxpayer’s funds. In 2007, Supervisor Knabe led the effort to pass State legislation to combat fraudulent use of funds for government-subsidized child care programs – fraud which costs California’s taxpayers millions of dollars per year.

I could not be happier that the criminals involved in this fraud ring are now behind bars, but I am also still outraged at the continued theft of taxpayer dollars intended for families in need, said Supervisor Knabe. The fact that we have tens of thousands of children on a waiting list for these child care subsidies shows that there is still a great need for the State to address the serious fraud problems in these important programs

The bust announced today involved charges being filed against 55 different people, which were spread across five separate criminal complaints. The fraud ring was allegedly run, in part, by a convict currently in federal prison on a narcotic trafficking term. The $3 million bust is believed to the largest of its kind to date in the nation.

Today’s bust is a prime example of how California’s child care programs, which issue over $1.2 billion in taxpayer dollars each year, are highly vulnerable to fraudulent activity and improper payments, due to a gap in appropriate oversight at the State level, said Supervisor Knabe.

A 2005 report to the Legislature indicated that fraud could exist in up to 7 percent of all child care payments statewide. The report also estimated that 6.2 percent of all child care payments are erroneously issued, as a result of inconsistent practices and policies.

Throughout 2006 and 2007, Supervisor Knabe continually advocated in Sacramento for decisive action on this issue. In 2006, Knabe sponsored Senate Bill 1421 (Margett) to address fraudulent activity in child care programs. This led to a bipartisan dialogue, and passage of Senate Bill 84 (Ducheny) by the Legislature, which was then signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger in August 2007.

The Legislature’s action calls for a best-practices study, which is due back by September of this year. It will report on the best practices for the prevention, detection, and investigation of improper payments and fraud in all subsidized child care programs. Additionally, local efforts across California, such as the highly-effective fraud mitigation and prevention activities in Los Angeles County, which last year prevented over $50 million in erroneous child care payments from occurring, will be reviewed as part of the study.

LA County Women At Greater Risk For Heart Disease

To commemorate American Hearth Month, Los Angeles County public health officials are advising residents, especially women, to learn about factors that put them at risk for cardiovascular disease and take immediate steps to reduce and control those risks. Cardiovascular disease, commonly referred to as heart disease, includes coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, heart failure and several other conditions including arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, cardiomyopathy, and peripheral arterial disease.

To put it into perspective, a woman dies every minute from cardiovascular disease nationally. Heart disease is still the leading cause of death, among women, yet many women do not perceive themselves as being at the same risk as men said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Public Health Director and County Health Officer.

Heart disease and stroke are also the leading causes of premature death and disability in LA County. Data from the LA County Office of Women’s Health indicate that adult women in LA County die from cardiovascular disease at a higher rate than the national rate, with the largest disparities among African American women. Additionally, 52% of African American women, 38% of Latinas and 35% of white women were found to be at risk for heart disease, defined as having two or more of the following factors: cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and high blood cholesterol.

Even though 53% (459,000) of cardiovascular deaths in 2005 nationally were in women compared to 47% (411,000) in men, awareness that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women is much lower than the awareness that it is the leading cause of death among men. Also, a 2006 national study conducted by the American Heart Association evaluated trends in women’s awareness, knowledge, and perceptions related to cardiovascular disease since 1997. Although awareness has increased, knowledge gaps exists among ethnic and racial minorities. Only 31% of African American women and 29% of Latina women compared to 68% of white women reported cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of death.

While progress has been made against some factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease in the general LA County residents, many challenges still remain. Trends in cigarette smoking between 1997 and 2005 indicate a decline in some county residents, especially among Latino, white, and Asian adults, however rates are still climbing among African Americans. In addition obesity increased from 12% to 21% in the same period, and a substantial proportion of adults (37.5%) report a sedentary lifestyle.

A phone survey conducted by the Office of Women’s Health helps women determine their risk for heart disease. Women can call a toll-free hotline, 1-800-793-8090, for their Healthy Heart Risk Assessment. Based on the caller’s risk level, they will receive an information packet in their preferred language that includes educational materials on heart disease prevention and a resource guide for free and low-cost health and fitness programs in LA County. Operators are available in 7 languages Monday – Friday 8:30 am-6:00 pm. Services are provided in the following languages: English, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Vietnamese and Armenian. The goal of this phone-based, multi-language survey is to raise awareness and reach low-income women that might not have access to a traditional health care network.

Knabe Establishes Rewards For Information Related To Three Shooting Deaths In Long Beach

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved three $10,000 rewards today, at the request of Supervisor Don Knabe, for information related to two different shooting incidents that led to three deaths in the City of Long Beach.

On Saturday, January 19, 2008, Dennis Moses, 17, and Breon Taylor, 15, were shot and killed while attending a birthday party at the Lakewood Masonic Center located on East Parkcrest Street. Police believe a fight occurred between people at the party, which led to gunfire. The very next day, on Sunday, January 20, 2008, Ikime Sims, 20, was found outside a house near 68th Way and Orcutt Avenue with a gunshot wound to his lower body. He was transported to a local hospital, but died shortly after.

It is important for the County of Los Angeles to display its resolve in protecting innocent citizens from appalling crimes, said Supervisor Knabe. In order to bring these suspects to justice, and demonstrate our intolerance to such deplorable crimes, I believe these reward should be established, hoping someone will come forward so that we can bring these suspects to justice.

Any person having any information related to the January 19 incident is asked to contact Detectives Mark McGuire or Hugo Cortes of the Long Beach Police Department – Homicide Division at (562) 570-7244. Any person having any information related to the January 20 incident is asked to contact Detectives William Matsubara or David Rios of the Long Beach Police Department – Homicide Division at (562) 570-7244.

Traffic Signal Synchronization Project Complete In Long Beach And Paramount

The County of Los Angeles has completed the construction of a Traffic Signal Synchronization Project in the Fourth District cities of Long Beach and Paramount, Supervisor Don Knabe announced recently.

The $1,022,691 project was financed with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Grant Funds and Proposition C Local Return Funds, and focused on coordinating the timing of signals along Eastern Avenue/Garfield Avenue/Cherry Avenue between Pacific Coast Highway and Atlantic Boulevard.

This project is part of the County’s ongoing program to enhance traffic flow and safety for drivers and pedestrians. Prior projects have shown travel times through these synchronized routes are reduced by as much as 24 percent during peak travel hours and as much as 29 percent during other periods of the day.

It is important that we constantly look for ways to reduce congestion and improve the flow of traffic on our roads, said Supervisor Knabe. By synchronizing these traffic signals, both the residents of these cities and the nearby unincorporated County areas that travel these routes will benefit.

Construction Set To Begin On Dockweiler State Beach Youth Center

Construction of the Dockweiler State Beach Youth Center, located at the end of Imperial Highway and Vista del Mar, is scheduled to begin January 28, 2008 with anticipated completion in April 2009.

The $6.2 million project is jointly funded by County of Los Angeles Prop A and State of California Prop. 12 bond funds. This project will provide a youth activity center at Dockweiler State Beach and will serve as the southern headquarters for the Los Angeles County W.A.T.E.R. (Water Awareness, Training, Education and Recreation) youth education program offering aquatic sports camps.

The 8,800 square foot building will consist of multi-purpose meeting and training facilities, administrative space, indoor storage facilities, restroom and locker facilities and storage for beach equipment.

Newborn Safely Surrendered In Huntington Park

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success again with the report of another safely surrendered newborn. This most recent report of a safe surrender occurred at a hospital in the City of Huntington Park.

The newborn Hispanic male was surrendered on Tuesday, January 15 and is reported to be in good health. Reportedly, the infant’s mother gave birth on January 13 at another hospital and she considered voluntary relinquishment. However, the infant’s mother changed her mind and took her baby home. Later that day, the mother brought the infant to the urgent care in Huntington Park and asked to safely surrender the infant.

Although the surrender occurred on Tuesday, the confirmation was just received today. It is normal for surrenders to take several days to be verified under the rules of the program. As is standard practice, the baby boy is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

This is the second Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2008, and the 64th since the program began seven years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

Second Safe Surrender In 24 Hours

The Los Angeles County Safe Surrender program celebrated a second success story today with the confirmation of a Safe Surrender in the City of Monterey Park. Word of the other Safe Surrender came earlier today out of Huntington Park.

This most recent Safe Surrender of a female Chinese newborn occurred on Tuesday, January 15 at a hospital in Monterey Park. Although the surrender happened several days ago, confirmation was just received today. It is normal for surrenders to take several days to be verified under the rules of the program. As is standard practice, the baby girl is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

A second Safe surrender also occurred on Tuesday, January 15th when a Hispanic baby boy was taken to an urgent care facility in the City of Huntington Park. This is not the first time multiple surrenders have happened on the same day. Last year, two babies were surrendered in different parts of the County on January 17, 2007. Two different surrenders also occurred on February 10, 2007.

This is the third Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2008, and the 65th since the program began seven years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

This case could have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby girl has a long life ahead of her, said Supervisor Knabe. I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.

Employment Opportunities For Veterans

A County program introduced by Supervisor Don Knabe and Supervisor Mike Antonovich to assist veterans with employment opportunities is seeing tremendous success.

The program is available to local military veterans who have been honorably discharged, the County recruits applicants whose training, education and skills match those needed by the County. Successful applicants are hired as trainees for up to 24 months and receive job training and experience. They receive benefits and are eligible to compete for permanent County positions.

Already, 250 veterans have been placed in employment opportunities and another 1,400 are currently being evaluated. Interested veterans are encouraged to visit http://dhr.lacounty.info or call (213) 738-2175.