(Always nice to see Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti stop by. – promoted by Dante Atkins (hekebolos))

(originally posted at my blog)

I recently sponsored a resolution in the Los Angeles City Council to express support for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and I am proud to report that on April 28th, the resolution passed the council 13-1.

EFCA, when it becomes law, will make joining a union easier for millions of Americans, a necessity if we are to raise workers’ wages, ensure healthcare coverage for all and rebuild the middle class. The case for it is clear, which makes it all the more frustrating that the bill appears stalled in the US Senate.

As our resolution states, in part:

WHEREAS, the free choice to join with others and bargain for better wages and benefits is essential to economic opportunity and good living standards; and

WHEREAS, unions benefit communities by strengthening living standards, stabilizing tax bases, promoting equal treatment and enhancing civic participation; and

WHEREAS, states in which more people are union members are states with higher wages, better benefits and better schools; and

WHEREAS, union workers receive better wages and benefits, with union workers earning 29 percent more than workers without a union, 35 percent more likely to have access to health insurance and four times more likely to have access to a guaranteed defined-benefit pension; and

WHEREAS, unions help raise workers’ pay and narrow the income gap for minorities and women by increasing median weekly earnings by 31 percent for union women workers, 31 percent for African-American workers, 50 percent for Latino workers and 9 percent for Asian American workers…

It concludes:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, with the concurrence of the Mayor, that by the adoption of this Resolution, the City of Los Angeles hereby includes in its 2009-2010 Federal Legislative Program SUPPORT of HR 1409/S 560, the Employee Free Choice Act of 2009, which would restore workers’ freedom to join a union and, more specifically, amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts, authorize the National Labor Relations Board to certify a union as the bargaining representative when a majority of employees-voluntarily sign authorizations designating that union to represent them, provide for first contract mediation and arbitration, and establish meaningful penalties for violations of a worker’s freedom to choose a union.

My grandfather on my mom’s side owned a union factory, and like Henry Ford, he understood the importance of decent wages and benefits for his employees. During my tenure on the Los Angeles City Council, time and time again, we’ve seen the widespread benefits of unionization. It’s true that a rising tide can lift all ships and unionization is that rising tide.

Take the fight to unionize L.A. security officers. While the business community was convinced they’d be irreparably harmed by the unionization of these workers, on the contrary, they are thriving, the security officers have better wages and benefits AND Los Angeles is a more secure city as a result. By paying a wage that allows workers to actually support a family, there is lower turnover, the applicants are better trained, emergency response times are faster and as a result our downtown highrises are safer and more secure.

I believe that it is incumbent upon cities – as centers of progressivism, as hubs of social change and, let’s face it, where the people live – to exert whatever pressure we can bring to bear on our leaders to do the right thing. While this resolution is strictly symbolic, I believe it sends a strong message not only to the elected leaders in California but to other local governing bodies around the country to step up and fight for progressive change. It’s like our president said during his historic run for the White House: real change can only come from the bottom up. Well here we are at the bottom urging those at the top to do what’s right and pass the Employee Free Choice Act.

(Bumped. Disclosure: Todd Beeton, who originally bumped this post, is doing blog outreach for Eric Garcetti. Garcetti’s blog is here. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

Last week, I announced the formation of the Los Angeles City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Economic Recovery and Reinvestment. The goal of the committee is to develop strategies to help Los Angeles win the maximum amount of federal stimulus dollars for which we’re eligible and to create a plan for allocating the funding to most efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the city’s businesses and residents.

You may recall that in February, President Obama put local governments on notice, calling on us to “spend that money wisely, free from politics, free from personal agenda.” That’s precisely the spirit in which I convened the first meeting of the committee last Tuesday. At that meeting, we established a set of 9 guiding priorities by which we intend not only to fulfill the president’s vision for efficient allocation of the stimulus funds, but also to make Los Angeles the most accountable, transparent, and effective city in moving economic recovery programs forward. We’d like to see these priorities serve as a model for local governments all over the country, particularly in our nation’s cities where “urban acupuncture”, or the careful targeted allocation of funds to projects that have the most combined benefit, can be used to best effect.

Those priorities are over the flip (edit for space by Brian).

1. projects that are truly shovel-ready

2. projects that produce or protect jobs

3. projects that lessen the human impact of the economic downturn

4. projects that have the highest level of transparency and public involvement

5. projects that have the highest level of accountability, including internal city audits

6. projects that involve partnerships to better spend federal dollars

7. projects that have multiple benefits (green affordable housing could clean air, build affordable housing AND put people to work)

8. projects that promote adopted public policy goals of the city (clean port air, plant trees, promote transit-oriented development, etc.)

9. projects that promote strategic industries for long-term growth, such as green jobs in environmental technology

This committee will make sure we leave no stone unturned when it comes to identifying and winning federal stimulus dollars and will be working closely with the Mayor’s Office and City Departments to coordinate our efforts to bring badly needed federal money to Los Angeles. In fact, because we have already taken the lead on many of the policy areas where dollars are targeted (energy efficiency, green jobs, port and airport projects, etc.), I believe Los Angeles may be able to access as much as $1 billion.

As I work to make Los Angeles a model for quick, effective and accountable implementation of stimulus dollars, I’d welcome your input. What projects would you like to see us target? Where can we get the most bang for the buck and how else can cities lead the way toward economic recovery?

(disclosure: I’m doing blog outreach for Eric Garcetti – promoted by Todd Beeton)

(also at my blog)

On Monday I traveled to Washington, D.C. with a delegation of Southern California elected and business leaders to meet with administration officials and members of congress to advocate for federal funding for our area. With 22 million people, Southern California alone is more populous than 48 states; 43% of all goods that enter through America’s ports come through Southern California; we have an unemployment rate over 11% and our homeless family population has increased by 28.3% in six months. My message to Washington leaders this week: investing in Southern California is crucial to the nation’s economic recovery.

It’s been an extremely rewarding trip and, I think, quite productive. Some highlights:

– Senator Boxer spoke to us about the job growth potential of clean technology and alternative energy.  We met with Energy Secretary Steven Chu as well and specifically made the case to him that Los Angeles is poised to be a market leader in green job training. We have a real opportunity to lead the nation in a green jobs revolution and I have no doubt that with Van Jones at the helm, California will be central to the administration’s green job investment plan. Chu challenged us to not just push for green-designed buildings, but to monitor energy use (and to push white roofs.)

– We talked to White House officials about the importance of an urban-based strategy for recovery, where a combination of public works projects, stalled private developments in need of public dollars, and strategic sector initiatives could help put people back to work in our urban centers. Cities are the economic drivers of our nation and for the last 8 years, we’ve seen investment dry up. I’m heartened to see the new administration’s commitment to the renewal of our cities. The stimulus dollars we’ll be getting over the coming months are extremely precious and can go further if properly directed to the right urban renewal projects.

– Yesterday we had a bipartisan lunch with 12 members of congress and Northern Californian counterparts like David Chiu, my equivalent at the SF Board of Supervisors. At the meeting, we discussed the importance of moving CA from a “donor state” (in taxes spent versus money we get back) to a more evenly-balanced state. For every dollar Los Angeles sends to Washington, we get 73 cents back. That’s got to change.

– We also spoke to Obama’s economic advisers about the importance of solving the housing crisis at the heart of the economic downturn. We discussed the need to focus on ways to write down mortgages on homes or promote short sales to forestall even more foreclosures. I had a great conversation with Rep. Maxine Waters about home foreclosure and eviction prevention.

– Today we met with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis about workers’ issues, Attorney General Eric Holder on public safety, Education Secretary Arne Duncan about education issues and Larry Summers to discuss the overall economic stabilization strategy.

The access has been incredible. In fact, we appear to be among the few people having these meetings, getting this access, and helping shape policy early. I’ve just been really impressed with the amount and quality of time they’ve devoted to us and the very real commitment they’ve demonstrated to smart investment not only in California, but around the country to get us on the road to economic recovery.

(From the diaries. Disclaimer: I’m doing blog out reach for Eric’s re-election campaign – Todd)

(cross-posted from my campaign blog)

As many of you know, I’m running for my third term as City Councilman representing the 13th Council District of Los Angeles (which consists of parts of Hollywood, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Echo Park, Elysian Valley and Glassell Park – map here.) Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 3rd, Los Angeles will hold its primary nominating elections. If any candidate receives 50%+1 of the vote on Tuesday, he or she is elected outright; if not, the top 2 candidates will compete in the general municipal election on May 19th.

Several seats are up for election on Tuesday including Mayor, City Attorney, City Controller, odd numbered City Council district seats (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15), even numbered L.A. Unified School District seats (2, 4, 6) and even numbered L.A. Board of Trustee seats (2, 4, 6.) A complete list of candidates competing in each race can be found here.

There are also 5 initiatives on the ballot:

Prop A: Fire Department Independent Assessor

Prop B: Solar Energy and Job Creation Program

Prop C: Disabled Children Survivor Benefit of the Fire and Police Pension Plan

Prop D: Survivor Benefit Purchase Program for Retirees of the Fire and Police Pension Plan

Prop E: Economic Incentives for Business Development

SmartVoter.com has complete summaries of the measures and check out Courage Campaign’s voter guide for a complete rundown of which measures have the support of which progressive orgs.

Eight years ago, I had a crazy idea to run for City Council. I bought a pair of shoes and walked my district every day until I literally wore holes in them introducing myself to voters and rediscovering my city. Now, eight years later, while I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made rebuilding Hollywood into a safer more business friendly city center again, nearly tripling the number of parks in my district and making city hall more relevant and accessible to Angelenos through my Government 101 and Neighborhood Leadership Academy programs, there is still much more to be done to change Los Angeles. So I humbly ask for the support of those of you in the 13th L.A. City Council District.

If you have friends and family in Los Angeles, please remind them to vote tomorrow and if they’re in the 13th district you can direct them to my website to learn more about me, what I’ve done and what I intend to continue to do if I’m fortunate enough to be re-elected to the City Council.

If I do win outright tomorrow, I can assure you, neither my neighborhood walks to engage with the communities in my district nor my posts here at Calitics to engage with the online community will end; in fact I see Tuesday as just the beginning.

[UPDATE]By the way, polls are open from 7am-8pm tomorrow and you can find your polling place HERE. Join us for an election night party at Avalon in Hollywood starting at 8pm (details at the blog) – Todd.

(Welcome L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti to Calitics. Full disclosure: I’m doing blog outreach for his re-election campaign. – promoted by Todd Beeton)

As I write this, the House and Senate negotiators are preparing to meet with the White House to hammer out a stimulus deal that can be delivered to the President’s desk by the end of the week. Unfortunately, by all accounts, the deal they’ve reached is an even smaller stimulus package than either the Senate or the House version, coming in at under $790 billion.

Watching the negotiations over the past week, I have to say I’ve been disturbed not only at the fact that at every turn more has been cut from an already inadequate stimulus package but also at where the cuts have been targeted. As the President of the Los Angeles City Council, I’ve been most concerned about the cuts — or should I say “adjustments downward?” — from aid to states and cities, namely the $40 billion that the Senate version cut from the state fiscal stabilization funds. This represented almost a 50% decrease in some of the most stimulative spending in the entire package including $25 billion in state block grants and $15 billion in education funding at the state level.

I was heartened to hear President Obama state during his press conference Monday night that he’d like to see some of the funding for states returned to the bill in conference. Unfortunately, as David writes below, it looks as though only $5 billion of the $40 billion will survive. This is disappointing, to say the least.

To me, these are not just numbers, they are very real. These spending cuts represent very real jobs lost, very real infrastructure projects left undone and very real people unable to stay in their homes. I was glad to hear the President strike the same note on the road in Virginia today:

“What’s at stake here is not abstract numbers… We’re talking about real families,” Obama said. “We’re at the doorstep of getting this plan through Congress, but the work is not over.”

Precisely, Mr. President, which is why it is my hope that this much needed funding to our cities and states will find its way to us through other means if it does not survive the stimulus compromise today.

There is clearly much more to be said on the subject — especially as this story is constantly evolving — and I look forward to engaging with this community over the next month leading up to the Los Angeles municipal elections on March 3 and beyond. To stay in touch with me, please join my campaign and visit my new blog. I look forward to the ongoing conversation about this and other issues in the months and years ahead.