“We have programs to help veterans with health problems and job skills, but sometimes the most pressing need is cutting through the red tape that’s in the way,” Garcetti said. “The point is to help L.A. veterans get the help they need and the benefits they’ve earned.”

According to the 2011 American Community Survey, there were approximately 330,000 veterans in Los Angeles County. Approximately 10 percent were unemployed and nearly 12 percent were homeless. Garcetti has been an advocate for local veterans, including support for legal services to help them obtain benefits.

“We must honor our veterans and support them too,” said Garcetti. “From a practical standpoint, unless our cities become strategic in dealing with federal and state veterans agencies, we end up paying the full price in our neighborhoods and in our budgets.”

“My plan is that if you film a pilot in Los Angeles, you will not get a bill from the City,” Garcetti said. “This strategic incentive for TV pilots increases our chances of landing the television series that follows. It is a small investment that can turn into hundreds of good jobs and generate millions of dollars for our economy.”

Traditionally, Los Angeles has been the hub of television production in the United States. In 2006 and 2007, Los Angeles was home to 60 percent of all television pilots. In 2012, only 29 percent of all television pilots were produced in Los Angeles.

“The entertainment industry generates half-a-million local jobs,” said Garcetti. “Other cities, states and countries are offering powerful incentives to lure those jobs away. We are fighting back to keep those jobs right here – where they belong.”

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council approved legislation introduced by Councilmember Eric Garcetti to move Los Angeles immigrant residents to the front of the line when it comes to citizenship and fully participating in L.A. civic life, which would benefit the entire city and our economy.

The legislative package, authored by Garcetti, reestablishes the city’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and creates the nation’s first local initiative to help immigrants through the legal process of becoming a resident and citizen as proposed by President Obama’s federal immigration reform effort.

“Immigration reform is coming, but any federal program can be daunting to navigate, particularly for immigrants,” Garceti said. “This office will help L.A. immigrants cut through the red tape so they are at the front of the line when it comes to President Obama’s new pathway to citizenship. Helping deserving immigrants earn legal status will build stronger L.A. communities and a stronger L.A. economy.”

In addition to offering services to immigrants to help their residency and citizenship requirements, the legislative package aim is to help immigrants learn about city services – for example  preventative care so that immigrant Angelenos get help they need and taxpayers don’t incur higher costs driven by emergency room visits.

The Bicycle Advisory Committee advises the City’s Department of Transportation and Department of Planning on bicycling issues relevant to transportation. Committee members also guide City departments on how to best implement the City’s Bicycle Plan. The Committee also partners with the Department of Recreation and Parks to develop more recreational bicycling opportunities.

Bicycle Advisory Committee meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every other month: February, April, June, August, October and December.

The City of Los Angeles invites you to participate in the 2013 African American Heritage Month Poster Competition.

“A key to attracting and retaining industry in Los Angeles is to provide a career-ready workforce to employers,” Garcetti said. “We must fight for a program that prepares Angelenos for jobs that are hiring now and in the future.”

Garcetti’s council motion directs the Los Angeles World Airports to find a solution to keep the center open; starting with reduced rents, and engage the Los Angeles Unified School District to identify any other issues standing in the way of continued operation of the Aviation Center training program.

“The Aerospace industry has always played an important role in our economy,” Garcetti said. “This aviation training program plays a vital to the success of that industry and our economy.”

See text of motion below.

http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2013/13-0023_MOT_01-04-13.pdf

Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti on Friday called for measures to keep a highly regarded aviation mechanics school at Van Nuys Airport from shutting down or being moved to smaller facilities elsewhere.

Garcetti said he will request at the Jan. 4 council meeting that Los Angeles World Airports, the operator of Van Nuys, and the Los Angeles Unified School District explore ways to ensure the continued operation of the vocational school, which has produced thousands of mechanics during its 40-year history. Because of tight budgets, the district might close or relocate the school. …

The North Valley Occupational Center-Aviation Center, which opened in 1971, is located off Hayvenhurst Avenue in a hangar filled with more than a dozen aircraft, including helicopters and an old U.S. Air Force jet trainer.

The two-year course at one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world prepares students for certification by the Federal Aviation Administration and potential employment with aircraft maintenance shops, commercial carriers and aerospace firms. …

David Bowerman, an instructor at the center, called Garcetti’s effort to get substantive talks going “a good idea.” He said the school now has about 100 students per semester and provides technical training to those who don’t want to go to college.

The situation has attracted the attention of the Van Nuys Airport Assn. and major organizations such as the National Business Aviation Assn., the National Air Transportation Assn. and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn. All have urged LAUSD Supt. John Deasy to keep the school at the airport.

Garcetti, who cited an article about the aviation center’s plight in The Times this week, said that saving the program would help address a growing shortage of entry-level mechanics in the aircraft industry and continue to offer Los Angeles area residents a career path if they are interested in aviation.

“In setting priorities during tough budget times, the school district must focus on education programs that lead directly to industries that are hiring now and in the future,” Garcetti said. “A trained aviation workforce in Los Angeles is critical to the competitiveness of our airports, our aerospace industry, our trade sector and our overall economy.”

From KPCC:

Valet companies in the City of Los Angeles would be required to obtain permits and insurance before driving customers’ cars under an ordinance considered Wednesday by the City Council.

The Valet Parking Operator Permit Program is intended to stop valets from parking cars in  neighborhoods and give drivers a way to protect their vehicles from theft and damage. Once the L.A. City Council signs off on the final ordinance in another 60-to-90 days, the program will be phased in over a six-month period. The first neighborhood to see the permit program in action will be Hollywood.

“You’ll find upwards of six valet companies competing against one another on a one- to two-block stretch,” Councilman Eric Garcetti said of the Hollywood area.

“Don’t get me wrong, competition is great. However, when you have valet companies that are not insured, they’re not endorsed or affiliated to any local business, and they’re monopolizing on-street metered spaces and parking cars in our neighborhoods, then you have a serious problem,” he said.

The ordinance would prevent valet drivers from parking cars on city streets, at parking meters, or in residential neighborhoods.

Drivers will have to undergo background checks and receive permits from the Police Commission. Enforcement will be complaint-driven, and violators could face fines. 

The permit program would not apply to valet drivers hired for private events.

http://www.scpr.org/blogs/news/2012/12/05/11410/la-city-hall-wants-regulate-valet-drivers/