This morning's marathon Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee on Gambol Industries shipyard proposal clocked in at just over 3.5 hours. A couple weeks ago, at the request of Councilwoman Hahn, City Council had voted to take jurisdiction over the Harbor Committee's decision to sever ties with Gambol. The Commission had ruled that the Gambol proposal would necessitate a re-opening of the permitting process, thus causing a delay to the Main Channel Deepening Project (MCDP), costing thousands of jobs and the region's competitiveness.
Read MoreThree more of the Chamber's revamped Policy Councils held their first meetings of 2011 in the last week, emphasizing a renewed focus on industry participation, partnerships and engagement with regional thought-leaders.
Read MoreYesterday the LA City Council voted 11-0 to approve Ron Nichols' appointment as General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP).
Read MoreFor the first time in four years, the Planning Department went through the City's Managed Hiring process to request four new case processors. Proving successfully that their salaries are fully cost recoverable, the Planning Department received full City Council support. This is a victory for the Planning Department and newly appointed General Manager Michael LoGrande. Congratulations to Mr. LoGrande for fulfilling a promise to increase the case processing staff so that the City can start addressing the case backlog and move applications forward in a timely manner.
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President Obama wrote the magic words for many businesses in a
rare Wall Street Journal op-ed today - ordering "a
government-wide review of the rules already on the books to remove outdated regulations that stifle job creation and make our economy less competitive." The president also issued a companion executive order calling on government agencies to ensure that any regulations on the books "
protect
our safety, health and environment while promoting economic growth."
Read MoreThe revamped Land Use & Mobility Policy Council met for the first time today and featured three speakers highlighting the Council's priorities for the year.
Read MoreLos Angeles and the state of California have never faced a more serious challenge regarding our education system. With our flat global economy, the success of our students has never been more important. Dramatic improvements to our education system must be made.
Last century, the United States had the highest college enrollment rate in the world, but by 2008 our standing had fallen to No. 16. Here in California, for the first time in our history, the current generation is expected to be less educated than its predecessor. Major cutbacks signaled this week in Gov. Jerry Brown's budget add to the challenges local school officials face. This collection of issues calls for outstanding leadership. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education displayed that leadership this morning when it announced its decision to select John Deasy as the district's next superintendent.
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