L.A., BIZ GET ON SAME PAGE OFFICIALS PLEDGE SUPPORT AT VALLEY ROUND-TABLE EVENT.Byline: BRENT HOPKINS Staff Writer There is no more business as usual for business, politicians proclaimed Thursday to local leaders. The commercial community and the city of Los Angeles
At a luncheon convened Thursday, city officials pledged their support for the business community. Businessmen put down their forks and applauded. ``People say the city doesn't listen, but believe me, the government of the city of Los Angeles is listening,'' said Councilman Dennis Zine. ``When we can have a partnership with the industries of the future, we want to do that.'' Months of discussion among local business groups, companies and politicians culminated in Thursday's speeches. Councilman Greig Smith Greig Smith is a Los Angeles City Councilman, representing the 12th District, which includes Granada Hills, Northridge and other parts of the Western San Fernando Valley. Smith is also a reserve officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. , who represents the Chatsworth and Northridge areas, initiated the plan after a series of major layoffs and relocations earlier this year. Though given some advance notice of the closure of the Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Morning daily newspaper. Established in 1881, it was purchased and incorporated in 1884 by Harrison Gray Otis (1837–1917) under The Times-Mirror Co. (the hyphen was later dropped from the name). plant and downsizing (1) Converting mainframe and mini-based systems to client/server LANs. (2) To reduce equipment and associated costs by switching to a less-expensive system. (jargon) downsizing at Washington Mutual “WaMu” redirects here. For the Washington, DC radio station, see WAMU. Washington Mutual (or WaMu; NYSE: WM) is the United States' largest savings and loan association. announced in February, Smith said that local employers and elected officials had insufficient communication to prevent previous job loss. ``They're coming to us now, but we want to come to them,'' Smith said. ``We don't want them to just say, we're moving, it's too late. We're here to help you, not to hurt you.'' Preserving the industrial belt in the Northridge/Chatsworth area has become Smith's particular mission, in an effort to save the industrial and commercial property from residential conversion. Companies in the area employed as many as 40,000 workers in recent years, ranging from ball bearing makers to entertainment soundstages. For the past few months, Smith's office has initiated conversations with remaining businesses to ensure they don't uproot and relocate out of state, as well. With available land scarce, Smith's business representatives have expedited permits for industrial expansion, provided contacts with city services The examples and perspective in this article or section may represent an unduly geographically limited view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. and private and public loans. Though still early in the process, business leaders see signs of success. ``We hear all about manufacturing fleeing California and we did lose 2,000 jobs last year,'' said Bruce Ackerman Bruce Arnold Ackerman (born August 19, 1943) is a famous constitutional law scholar in the United States. He is a Sterling Professor at Yale Law School and one of the most frequently cited legal academics in the country. Biography Ackerman received his B. , president and chief executive officer of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . ``But it's slowing. This year, we expect to only lose around 200.'' In addition to hosting the lunch, aerospace giant Airbus held an informational session with local suppliers to develop new subcontractors for its massive A380 jet. The company spends around $500 million in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, annually and speakers stressed again and again that they want to bring those dollars into the Valley. ``We need to figure out what we can do to open our arms,'' Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. ``We need to let people like Airbus know that there's a place for them ... the San Fernando Valley is, without question, the foundation of the future of the City of Los Angeles.'' brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com 818-713-3738 |
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