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Friends of the Fourth
District:
The County of Los Angeles is unique in its size and scope. We have
nearly 10 million residents, 3 million of which are uninsured. We
cover 4,000 square miles including 88 cities and 137 named
unincorporated areas. We maintain 4,800 miles of roadways, 15 major
dams, 2,400 miles of storm drains, and 81 miles of coastline. In
addition, the County is a major center for banking, manufacturing,
aerospace and information technology, as well the recording and film
industries. And we are home to the third busiest seawater port
complex in the world and the third largest airport in the nation.
This year, as I become Chairman of the Board, the County faces
tremendous challenges as the state budget crisis continues to affect
our ability to provide critical local services. Our ongoing health
care crisis, rising workers’ compensation, and homeland security
costs will require innovative and prompt solutions as we continue to
defend our local revenues from state budget cuts.
Despite these challenges, the County of Los Angeles is moving full
steam ahead into the future. We remain committed to ensuring the
County of Los Angeles meets its core responsibilities to each and
every resident. Our focus is on accountability and continuing to
improve the efficiency of our service delivery.
The health and economic vitality of the County directly impacts
major industries. It is imperative that we maintain a viable economy
with growth and expansion opportunities. New business is the key to
growing our economy because it means more jobs and higher employment
in the region.
Improving homeland security will also continue to be a major focus.
We must first protect our hometowns if we are to successfully secure
the homeland. The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are
international gateways to the Pacific Rim and provide us with
enormous international trade opportunities, but we must make sure
that they are not also a gateway for terrorists. That means
supporting our public safety personnel, first responders, and health
officials by providing them with the tools they need to protect our
families and neighborhoods.
Today, we have a unique opportunity to make things better as we
focus firmly on the future. I am confident we can succeed during
these challenging times.
DON KNABE
Supervisor, Fourth District
County of Los Angeles
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