Issues

Los Angeles County Receives Highest Credit Ratings

The County of Los Angeles has once again received the highest short-term ratings from the nation’s leading credit rating agencies. As an added benefit of these outstanding credit ratings, the County also secured record-low borrowing costs this week, ultimately resulting in more money being available for public services and community programs.

Since 1977, the Board of Supervisors has authorized the annual sale of Tax Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs) to assist with short-term cash management. This temporary borrowing program is necessary since the County receives certain revenues, such as property taxes, unevenly throughout the year.

In connection with the sale of the 2014-15 TRANs, the County recently received the highest short-term ratings from each of the three major credit rating agencies. Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service, and Standard and Poor’s assigned ratings of F1+, MIG 1, and SP-1+, respectively. Each of the credit rating agencies cited the County’s improving financial condition, fiscal discipline and conservative management practices as positive factors in making their ratings determinations.

As an added benefit of these highest-possible ratings, the County is able to secure lower interest rates when borrowing money needed to temporarily finance operations. The $900 million of TRANs notes sold by the County this week were secured at a record-low borrowing cost of 0.12-percent, which is more than five basis points lower than the County’s prior low record of 0.174-percent achieved last year.

“These exceptionally high ratings, and the record low interest rates, represent a vote of confidence in the County’s fiscal stewardship,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Don Knabe. “Our Board’s policy of living within its means has reduced our borrowing costs and yielded tremendous savings to the benefit of all County taxpayers.  While other jurisdictions continue to struggle, these low borrowing costs allow us to invest in the infrastructure projects and programs and services which matter most to our residents and their quality-of-life.”

Baby Girl Safely Surrendered at Hospital in Tarzana

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the fifth time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby girl. This most recent safe surrender occurred on June 2, 2014 at a hospital in Tarzana. A baby girl was also safely surrendered on Memorial Day at a fire station in Lancaster.

As is standard practice, the newborn is in protective custody and will be placed with families approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

“In the last two weeks, two mothers have made the difficult, but brave, choice to safely surrender their babies,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Now these two baby girls have the chance to grow-up and be part of a loving family. When we consider the alternative to what could have happened to these girls, we are thankful these mothers, who found themselves in a desperate situation, made the right decision for their babies. We must continue to spread the word about the Safe Surrender program so we can continue to protect the lives of our most vulnerable.”

This is the fifth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2014, and the 118th since the program began nearly 13 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.

To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.

L.A. County, Fox Sports and Dodgers Raise Awareness of Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste

Flammable, corrosive, poisonous, and toxic products found in homes and garages can be harmful to human health and the environment if not disposed properly.

So, to help encourage residents to dispose of their household hazardous and electronic waste (HHW/E- waste) properly, Los Angeles County, AM 570 Fox Sports Radio and the LA Dodgers have teamed up to launch a public education campaign,  “Begin With The End in Mind,” featuring former Dodger great, Nomar Garciaparra.

The campaign, which will provide valuable information on household hazardous and electronic waste programs and services, will launch tomorrow, Friday, May 30, 2014, during the Dodgers vs. Pittsburg game with a live on-air interview with LA County Supervisor Don Knabe, and a Dodgervision video public service announcement with Garciaparra and ABC7News Reporter, Alysha Del Valle.

Residents can take part in free (HHW/E- waste) collection events every weekend throughout LA County. Other items accepted for collection include: unused non-controlled pharmaceuticals, needles and syringes, antifreeze, car batteries, cleaning supplies, cosmetics, used motor oil, pesticides, household batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, TVs, computers, VCRs, stereos, and cell phones.

Residents can bring up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds of HHW per vehicle. Business/commercial waste is not accepted.

For additional information on future events, or  the type of materials accepted at our collection centers, visit the County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works website at www.CleanLA.com , follow us on Twitter @CLEANLA or call (888) CLEAN LA.

Baby Girl Safely Surrendered at Lancaster Fire Station

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the fourth time this year with the report of a safely surrendered newborn baby girl. This most recent safe surrender occurred on May 26, 2014 at a fire station in Lancaster.

As is standard practice, the newborn is in protective custody and will be placed with families approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

“Thanks to the Safe Surrender program, a tragic situation has been avoided and a baby girl has a second chance at life to be part of a loving family,” said Supervisor Knabe. “As word continues to spread about the Program, desperate mothers in similar situations can make the right choice for their babies and themselves, because of Safe Surrender.”

This is the fourth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2014, and the 117th since the program began nearly 13 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.

To learn more about the Safe Surrender Program, visit BabySafeLA.org.

L.A. County Launches New Adopt-A-Bike Path Program

The County of Los Angeles has developed a new way to promote sustainable communities, encourage active recreation, and keep County bike paths free of litter and overgrown vegetation, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The Adopt-A-Bike Path program is a public/private partnership managed by LA County Public Works to maintain the County’s more than 100 miles of bike path, while saving taxpayer dollars.  Participants can sign up for a sponsorship period of up to two years or for just one day, collecting litter, sweeping, and trimming vegetation. Public Works will lend safety gear, including hard hats, vests, and gloves to participants, who will also receive complimentary trash bags and trash disposal services during the sponsorship period.

According to Supervisor Knabe, the program will foster community pride and potentially lead to healthier lifestyles for County residents.

“With the launch of the Adopt-A-Bike Path program, individuals, families, businesses, and organizations have a unique opportunity to partner with LA County,” Supervisor Knabe said. “The program will benefit both the environment and the residents who enjoy the County’s bike paths as a healthy and active means of transportation. “

For more information on the Adopt-A-Bike Path program, visit the LA County Public Works website at dpw.lacounty.gov.

Knabe Headlines Child Sex Trafficking Panel at National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chairman Don Knabe joined Congressman Ted Poe (R-Texas), and Jessica, a child sex trafficking survivor, for a panel discussion on child sex trafficking at the National Press Club this morning in Washington, D.C.

The panel provided an inside look at the horrific sex trafficking industry and what is necessary to combat it, including expanding the penalties for buyers and sellers, developing programs for survivors, and creating anti-child sex trafficking awareness campaigns. Supervisor Knabe also presented the findings of a survey conducted by the National Association of Counties (NACo) that detailed the extent of this issue in counties across the country.

“We see through the NACO survey results that this is a national issue that must be addressed,” said Supervisor Knabe.  “As we see patterns in child sex trafficking across geography, we must also develop models for protection and prevention, by working together across levels of government. The voices of abused children often remain silent.

In the past, young girls arrested for prostitution were judged by society, exactly as their pimps predicted.  The pimp life, outrageously, has been celebrated. Through education, survivor and prevention programs, and legislation, we will reverse this injustice. Young girls, those we are responsible to protect, will know that, no matter where they are from or how they have been trafficked, they are the true victims.  We will be here for support, to help them realize their lives are valuable, and that they are worthy of the dreams they once imagined. We must do everything we can to get these girls off the track and on a path to a better life ahead. Together we will say, “No more; not in our streets; not to our young girls.”

Jessica, a child sex trafficking survivor said, “I was trafficked from Hollywood, California to Hollywood, Florida. Like many young ladies, I was considered the criminal.  Names were attached to me. And yet the men who bought and sold me, and so many other young girls, too often get off without any penalties or circumstances. I have survived the things that were done to me. It’s time for the real criminals to pay for exploiting young girls.  And it’s time for the young victims to get the services they need to move forward with the lives they deserve.”

To view the results of the NACo survey, visit: http://www.naco.org/newsroom/pubs/Documents/Surveys/SexTrafficking_Survey_April2014.pdf

Knabe to Headline Child Sex Trafficking Panel at National Press Club in Washington, DC

Human sex trafficking is a growing issue in our country. Children, some as young as 12-years-old, are being sexually exploited for profit.  Officials at the federal and county level are taking action to deal with this problem.

This panel will provide an inside look at this horrific crime and what is necessary to combat it, including expanding the penalties for buyers and sellers, developing programs for survivors and creating anti-child sex trafficking awareness campaigns.  In addition, Supervisor Don Knabe will present the findings of a survey conducted by the National Association of Counties (NACo) detailing the extent of the problem for counties.

When:  Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Where:  National Press Club, Zenker Room

Panelists:

  • Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas)
  • Supervisor Don Knabe, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
  • Jessica M. – Trafficking Survivor – Leader

Contact: 

Cheryl Burnett
213-974-1095

New Community Health Center Opening in Hacienda Heights

Los Angeles County and the John Wesley Community Institute Incorporated (JWCH) will partner together to open a new health facility in Hacienda Heights to provide under-served residents with health services, thanks to a motion by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted today to allocate $400,000 to assist with renovations and startup expenses at an existing medical building located in Hacienda Heights. JWCH will use the facility to provide primary care, substance abuse, HIV and mental health services, and more to residents throughout the surrounding areas.

“Access to preventative care is too limited in the eastern part of county, but thanks to this new medical clinic, we will be able to bring first-class healthcare to the community,” said Supervisor Knabe. “The Affordable Care Act still leaves over a million people uninsured, and thanks to this partnership with JWCH, Los Angeles County residents who may not have health insurance, can still receive basic primary care without needing to visit an emergency room. This new health clinic will help us create healthier families and a healthier community.”

JWCH is a private non-profit health agency that has contracted with the County to provide a variety of valuable programs such as: primary care, medical outreach and referrals, HIV treatment and prevention services, drug treatment, health education, psychosocial assessment, and intervention.

The location of the new health clinic will be announced at a later date.

Knabe, State Leaders Continue Efforts to Crack Down on Demand Side of Illicit Child Sex Trafficking Industry

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe joined State Senators Ted Lieu, D-Torrance; Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar; and Daphne Phung, California Against Slavery to reiterate their collective efforts to crackdown on the demand-side of the illicit child sex trafficking industry and announce the launch of a new county-wide Metro and billboard awareness campaign.

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support a state-sponsored “War on Child Sex Trafficking” legislative package. The legislation includes adding sex trafficking to the list of gang activity felonies and allowing wiretapping in suspected trafficking cases.

“This ‘War on Child Sex Trafficking’ legislative package will change the way we prosecute and punish sex buyers,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I strongly believe that the degenerates responsible for the rape and torture of girls as young as 10 for their personal profit should have nothing short of the entire book thrown at them in a court of law. This package of bills starts us on that path.”

In addition to supporting the “War on Child Sex Trafficking” legislative package, Supervisor Knabe announced the launch of a new public awareness campaign. Los Angeles County is once again partnering with Metro and Clear Channel Outdoor to take this new child sex trafficking awareness campaign county-wide.

The new campaign will appear at Metro train stations and bus stops, as well as on rail cars, and trains in both English and Spanish. Thanks to a generous donation by Clear Channel Outdoor, digital displays and traditional billboards will broadcast the message that children sold for sex aren’t prostitutes—they’re rape victims.

The digital displays and billboards will begin running the anti-child sex trafficking campaign over the next few months.

Supervisor Knabe said, “This campaign is a critical step in raising awareness of child sex trafficking and changing the public’s mentality that prostitution is a life choice. No child grows up wanting to be bought and sold for sex in the streets of their community—they are victims—often forced into this life by brutal violence and threats. The true criminals are the scumbags that buy and sell young boys and girls for money and get off with a slap on the wrist.”

On SB 1338, Senator Lieu said, “Helping the victims of those convicted of pimping or soliciting a minor to engage in sex must be a top priority to help ensure public safety. This effort will not only seek increased penalties on buyers of sex, but also increase support and counseling for the victims of commercial sexual exploitation.”

On SB 982, Senator Huff said, “The unspeakable torture and trauma these kids experience daily at the hands of sex traffickers results in life-long psychological, emotional and physical damage. Yet current law is too soft on buyers of sex with children. My bill, SB 982, is designed to provide an important tool for prosecutors to pursue felony convictions for anyone who solicits a sex act from a child under the age of 18.”

Daphne Phung of California Against Slavery said, “If we are serious about stopping sexual slavery, we must turn off the money source. Sex buyers are stuffing the wallets of traffickers and pimps in exchange for victims to satisfy their perversion. Victims often suffer as much violence from sex buyers as they are from traffickers. We can no longer turn a blind eye on this or make excuses for them.”

Metro CEO Art Leahy said, “Metro is proud to support Supervisor Don Knabe in the campaign to fight child sex trafficking, and we encourage our many riders to be vigilant of suspicious activity on our buses, trains and in our stations. If you ‘See Something, Say Something’ to Sheriff’s deputies or Metro employees – it could save the life of a young victim.”

Clear Channel Outdoor’s Southern California Director of Public Affairs Layne Lawson said, “Clear Channel Outdoor applauds Supervisor Don Knabe for this critical campaign to combat child sex trafficking, and we proudly donate billboards across the region to heighten awareness and join the fight against this horrible and growing crime in Los Angeles County. Clear Channel Outdoor has supported anti-child sex and human trafficking campaigns across the country and we encourage local residents to be vigilant in recognizing signs and reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement.”

Jessica, a sex trafficking survivor said, “The men who bought and sold me and so many other young girls too often get off without any penalties or circumstances. It’s time for the real criminals to pay for exploiting young girls.  And it’s time for the young victims to get the services they need to move forward with the lives they deserve.”

Knabe Statement on Deceased Newborn Found in Corona

Following the discovery of a deceased newborn baby in a dumpster at a Corona apartment complex on April 8, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is reminding the public about the County’s Safe Surrender program.

“Awful tragedies like what occurred in Corona are a reminder to mothers that there is always an option for their baby,” said Supervisor Knabe. “The Safe Surrender program was created to give a mother, no matter what the situation, a safe, secure and anonymous way to get her child into safe hands—at any fire station or hospital, any time—and to protect a baby from abandonment: No shame, No blame, and No names. Though 116 lives have been saved by the Safe Surrender program, this tragedy shows we still have a lot more work to do.”

Established by Supervisor Knabe in 2001, the Safe Surrender program allows a parent or legal guardian to confidentially handover an infant, three days old or younger, to any hospital emergency room or fire station in Los AngelesCounty. As long as the baby has not been abused or neglected, the person may surrender the baby without fear of arrest or prosecution for child abandonment.

Since the program began, 116 newborns have been safely surrendered. The multilingual Safe Surrender Hotline, 1-877-BABY-SAFE, is available 24-hours a day for more information and the location of the nearest Safe Surrender site. Safe Surrender sites can also be found by calling the County helpline at 211 or by visiting www.babysafela.org.