“In tough economic times we need to make sure hardworking Angelenos are getting all the help they need,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “We want to ensure that all qualifying low and moderate-income households reap the benefits of the Earned Income Tax Credit and gain access to free tax assistance.”

The EITC is a vastly underutilized benefit. The IRS estimates that 21% of all eligible families who qualify for EITC do not file a federal tax return to claim the credit. That means residents are leaving behind at least $300 million in EITC in Los Angeles County each year.

Led by United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the EITC partnership contributes to a national effort to increase public awareness about the tax credit and other services provided by participating organizations.

“The EITC program is one of the largest programs in the country that can make an impact on poverty. Costs for basic needs like housing and food are on the rise, and the credit can help Los Angeles County residents,” said Elise Buik, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “We hope to help even more qualified people obtain credits this year.”

FamilySource Centers, the City’s anti-poverty system, provide a comprehensive array of social services to city residents that need them the most. Each center offers a variety of educational, family, child and youth services including counseling, cultural, recreational and after school activities onsite or nearby through referrals.

During tax season, each of the 21 FamilySource centers throughout the City are designated Volunteer Income Tax Assistance—or VITA—sites. Supported by the EITC partnership, VITA sites provide families with free tax assistance and help them apply for tax credits. These sites also offer asset-building programs that include financial education and resources to help families open low-cost bank accounts.

Juan Diego, a hardworking single parent, joined Villaraigosa today to explain how FamilySource and VITA sites helped his family. Diego began going to the Central City Neighborhood Partners FamilySource Center in 2010 with his children for tutoring classes and to take ESL and computer classes. Because of the VITA site at his FamilySource Center, Diego walked out with $4,584 of in tax credits last year that he didn’t know he could receive.

“I began going to the FamilySource Center to learn English and take my children to tutoring, but the Center also informed me about the EITC,” said Diego. “With EITC money, I was able to pay debts I had after my wife passed away and buy needed clothing for my children.”

Last year, the partnership aided 39,573 people like Diego throughout the Greater LA claim over $43.8 million in total tax refunds. Individuals and families also saved approximately $6 million in tax preparation fees by having volunteers file their taxes for them.

For 2012 (the 2011 tax year), the EITC can translate to a refund of up to $5,751 for low and moderate-income families with three or more children – a figure equal to nearly two months of income for many hardworking but needy households.

EITC provides the following benefits for qualified working families:
Families with two parents and three or more qualifying children who earn less than $49,078 ($43,998 for families with a single parent) are eligible for up to $5,751
Families with two parents and two qualifying children who earn less than $46,044 (or $40,964 for families with a single parent) are eligible for up to $5,112
Families with two parents and one qualifying child who earn less than $41,132 (or $36,052 for families with a single parent) are eligible for up to $3,094
Couples with no qualifying children who earn less than $18,740 (or $13,660 for a single person) are eligible for up to $464

To qualify for EITC services and tax credits, claimants must be qualified working U.S. citizens and legal residents with Social Security number who have lived in the US for more than half the year.

For more information and to find one of over 100 free tax preparation sites, individuals and working families can call 2-1-1 or visit the EITC Partnership’s web site at www.FreeTaxHelpLA.com

About the EITC Campaign Partnership

The EITC Campaign Partnership is a broad-based coalition of government agencies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and financial institutions who have come together to improve the economic status of L.A.’s working families by increasing the number of EITC filings and providing VITA sites.

Partners include:
United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Center for Asset Building Opportunities
Internal Revenue Service
Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS)
Los Angeles Community Development Department
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
California State Controller’s Office
Bank of America
Citibank
Neighborhood Legal Services
KoreanYouth & Community Center (KYCC)
Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF)
Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND)
PACE Business Development Center
Chinatown Service Center
Magnolia Place (Children’s Bureau)
Saint Helen’s Church
Children’s Defense Fund-California
Employment Development Department
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
AARP.

The heritage month themed “Stepping Back Into The Future,” began with a ceremony inside Council Chambers and also recognized the 20th Anniversary of the Pan African Film Festival and the work of Our Authors Study Club.

“The City of Los Angeles is proud to recognize three uniquely talented individuals whose lasting contributions have left a mark on both the African-American community and our broader society,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “We recognize those whose spirit and accomplishments embody this heritage month and inspire the next generation to achieve greatness.”

The Spirit of Los Angeles was awarded to Sheryl Lee Ralph – the original DREAMGIRL, a role which earned her a Tony Award Nomination and a Drama Desk Award Nomination for Best Actress. Her career includes an award-winning body of work in film, television and the Broadway stage. Walter Mosley, a critically acclaimed and award-winning New York Times-bestselling author was honored with the Dream of Los Angeles award. Mosley’s books have been published around the world and translated into twenty-three languages. The Hope of Los Angeles honoree, Dr. Keith Black, is an internationally renowned neurosurgeon and scientist. Dr. Black is Chairman and Professor of the Department of Neurosurgery, Director of the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, and Director of the Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Brain Tumor Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

During the event, Mayor Villaraigosa unveiled the 2012 African American Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide produced by the Department of Cultural Affairs. The ceremony was followed by food and live entertainment at the Triforium, a public sculpture in the Los Angeles Mall Civic Center Complex adjacent to City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles.

African American Heritage Month launches a month-long calendar of cultural events and a Poster Contest open to all Los Angeles County students (grades K-12) that encourages the creation of original artwork based on their interpretation of the 2012 African American Heritage Month’s theme. Poster competition winners will be announced February 29, 2012 (tentative).

A list of all activities and events is available at www.culturela.org. For more information, call (213) 922-9762, or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HeritageLA.

He delivered the call to action during a speech at the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce 2012 Inaugural Dinner in Los Angeles.

“The numbers just don’t add up,” said Governor Brown of the public pension system. “Benefits, contributions and the age of retirement don’t reflect today’s realities, putting taxpayers on the hook for huge costs in the future. The cracks are showing and this dam will burst unless the legislature gets serious and takes urgent and decisive action.”

Governor Brown’s pension reform plan, introduced in October 2011, will apply to all California state, local, school and other public employers, new public employees and current employees as legally permissible. The plan’s 12 points are:

1. Equal sharing of pension costs between all employees and employers
2. Establish a “hybrid” risk-sharing pension plan
3. Increase retirement ages
4. Require three-year final compensation to stop pension spiking
5. Calculate benefits based on regular, recurring pay
6. Limit post-retirement employment
7. End felons’ pension benefits
8. Prohibit retroactive pension increases
9. Prohibit pension holidays
10. Prohibit purchases of service credit
11. Increase pension board independence and expertise
12. Reduce retiree health care costs

For full details of Governor Brown’s pension reform plan, click here (PDF): gov.ca.gov/docs/Twelve_Point_Pension_Reform_10.27.11.pdf .

“Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy,” said Mayor Villaraigosa at the East Los Angeles BusinessSource Center. “We are reopening the BusinessSource Centers to give entrepreneurs the tools they need to create jobs and grow their businesses.”

The LA BusinessSource program is part of the Mayor’s Office of Small Business’ effort to expand support for key job creators in LA. The city is home to 325,000 small businesses making LA the largest small business community in the country.

The six new centers replace the LA Business Assistance Program which served the city for 11 years. In 2010, the Mayor’s Office of Small Business and the Community Development Department realized that the LA Business Assistance Program was in need of improvement. The two offices worked together to find a new system that includes performance metrics to more efficiently track the success of the program as a whole.

“The Los Angeles BusinessSource Center provides the kind of real-world expertise, training and support that businesses need in these challenging economic times,” said Councilmember José Huizar. “Along with the nearly $2 billion in public investment that Boyle Heights has seen in recent years, the new LABSC office, operated by Barrio Planners, is a much-needed asset that will truly benefit this community.”

For the first time, the revamped LA BusinessSource centers will offer the same synchronized and streamlined services by full-time staff throughout the city. They will focus on reducing bureaucratic red tape so businesses can create jobs faster. Project managers will help businesses navigate City services including permitting and contracting processes.

Annette Lopez, who runs the Porter Junction Café, was able to open after taking training courses at the East LA BusinessSource. The Center helped her get financing, assisted with application and requirements of LA County Environmental Health Department, helped with an application to the City for the painting of a curb designating temporary parking zone, and helped develop marketing strategies.

“We’ve been a staple in the community for decades,” said Sandra Berg of Pacific Resource Recovery. “The LA BusinessSource Center enabled us to keep our business going by helping us get a successful and speedy application for a state permit.”

Open since 1929, Pacific Resource Recovery needed a renewal for their hazardous waste permit, a permit necessary for them to continue recycling. The business was provided assistance to receive their permit renewal by organizing presentations with key stakeholders and community organizations and testifying before state officials about the value and safety of the facility. The center also worked closely with the company’s director of human resources to recruit employees.

With the City’s new Local Preference Ordinance, passed in 2011, LA’s small companies now have an even greater opportunity to expand their business and create jobs by working with the City of LA. The center staff will help businesses leverage the local preference ordinance.

The Office of Small Business is an integral part of the Mayor’s five point plan to create jobs in LA by reducing red tape. The five points are: (1) reforming its business tax; (2) reducing red tape; (3) partnering for economic growth; (4) modernizing LAX and improving the Port of Los Angeles; and (5) building a 21st century transportation network.

All six LA BusinessSource Centers offer new services and cohesive goals, including:

• Specific job creation and job retention outcome goals
• Ability to assist businesses in navigating City services such as:permits; regulations; certifications (MBE/WBS/SBE/LBE); utilities
• Federal, State and Local procurement assistance
• Deliver a uniform level of service to all small businesses
• Monitoring and evaluation system
• Capacity to provide access to capital
• Contractual linkage with LA WorkSource system for Human Resources assistance and training needs
• Menu of specific and consistent business services such as:entrepreneurial training and workshops; city procurement information;
marketing; financial management
• One-on-one business consulting by professional consultants
• Marketing of federal, state and local business incentives
• Business Assistance Virtual Network (BAVN) registration and benefits

The centers are operated by different organizations but all serve under the umbrella of the Community Development Department and the Mayor’s Office of Small Business. The six locations and their operators are:

• North Valley Business Source Center run by the (VEDC) Valley Economic Development Center
• South Valley run by Initiating Change in Our Neighborhoods (ICON)
• Central / West BusinessSource Center run by (PACE) Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment.
• South Los Angeles BusinessSource Center run by (VSEDC) Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation
• Harbor BusinessSource Center run by Managed Career Solutions, Inc (MCS)
• East Los Angeles run by Barrio Planners Incorporated.

Beginning in late December, 2011, a series of 52 arson fires were set throughout the communities of Hollywood, West Hollywood, North Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. Deputy Lalezary has been credited for his quick response and decisive action in making the successful arrest of the suspected arsonist on January 2, 2012.

Hall, also a Los Angeles County Reserve Deputy Sheriff, met and trained with Reserve Deputy Lalezary in 2007 and have served as fellow deputies, assisting communities throughout Los Angeles County for nearly five years.

For more information on the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Forces Bureau, please visit: www.lasdreserve.org

“In 2008, we changed the face of gang prevention and intervention in this city and launched the Gang Reduction and Youth Development Program,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “GRYD’s comprehensive strategy represents a sea change in the way we reduce gang violence. Today, the Summer Night Lights has become a crowning achievement of these efforts and a source of pride in some of our most crime-ridden communities.”

The Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development is an initiative to prevent at-risk youth from joining gangs. It intervenes with gang members to help them safely leave the gang life and responds to gang-related crisis situations across the City. Twelve geographic zones—areas with the highest levels of gang violence—are targeted for prevention and intervention services.

The highly innovative GRYD program is designed to prevent and reduce gang violence using research driven tools, law enforcement, and family-focused psychological theories. The comprehensive gang violence reduction strategy has drawn national attention.

“The GRYD program is the cornerstone of our gang crime reduction efforts,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck. “If we are to see a significant decrease in gang crime here in Los Angeles in 2012, GRYD will play a pivotal role. GRYD is a model program that combines gang intervention with youth development, in an effort to reduce gang crime and create healthy communities here in LA.”

GRYD partners with the LAPD on several intervention program and activities that builds bridges between the community and law enforcement. In addition, GRYD in collaboration with the Advancement Project oversees LAVITA, the first comprehensive gang intervention academy in the country which provides certification for gang intervention workers.

The Mayor and Chief Beck recently released the City’s 2011 year-end crime statistics showing that overall gang crime dropped 15.2% representing a reduction of nearly 843 gang crimes last year. The LAPD also reported a 9.4% reduction in gang-related shots fired. Violent crime and property crime were also reduced across Los Angeles for the ninth consecutive year.

As part of GRYD’s comprehensive strategy, Summer Night Lights (SNL) keeps City parks open until midnight from Fourth of July weekend through Labor Day weekend. For these nine weeks, SNL provides extended and expanded programming between the hours of 7 PM to midnight, activities for at-risk youth and their families, job opportunities, and a safe place to spend the summer evenings at 32 recreation centers and parks in and around the City’s GRYD zones.

Communities around SNL parks experienced a 35% reduction in gang-related part 1 crime for all SNL locations combined, 35% reduction in gang-related homicides, 43% reduction in aggravated assaults and 55% reduction in shots fired. This past summer, an estimated 774,800 visits were made to the 32 SNL sites combined, an increase of 64,800 visits from 2010. A total of 484,250 meals were served throughout the program at all SNL sites combined.

In addition, over 1,600 jobs were made available in the summer through SNL including 320 Youth Squad members.

“I am big fan of collegiate athletics. But I am also very concerned that the vast amount of money in collegiate sports has distracted everyone from the primary purpose of our colleges. With billions of dollars in television revenue gained on the backs of student-athletes, it is shameful that so few student-athletes actually graduate and that many are further burdened with medical bills due to injury. Neither personal injury nor poverty should dim the dreams of a student-athlete pursuing a degree, particularly when their performance has enriched their college,” said Senator Alex Padilla.

“Legislation that will be introduced in California and other states is necessary to protect student-athletes and increase graduation rates. Covering sports-related medical expenses, retaining a scholarship after a sports-related injury, and covering the full cost of attendance are protections that most people think are already a part of college athletics. The reality is that student-athletes do not have many basic protections, and many lack the support to finish their degree. Some of these student-athletes generate millions of dollars for their athletic departments yet do not receive enough support to consistently pay for food,” said Ramogi Huma, President of National College Players Association. “Student-athletes in California and other states should let their support for this bill be heard. I’m grateful that Senator Alex Padilla has chosen to help protect the biggest underdog in college sports – the student-athlete,” Huma added.

Padilla’s legislation would require that California’s public system of higher education set aside a portion of broadcast revenues to cover medical expenses of student-athletes injured while either competing or training for an intercollegiate athletic event. It would also require that a portion of broadcast revenues be set aside to ensure that student-athletes who are injured have the resources and support necessary to finish their education.

Padilla said his legislation will seek to have the NCAA fulfill its stated mission of integrating intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount. “Despite the NCAA’s stated mission it does not require that schools pay for medical coverage or provide continued academic support for injured student-athletes. As a result, when injured, many student-athletes not only lose their scholarships but are also saddled with medical bills they cannot afford,” said Senator Padilla.

Recently, the National College Players Association (NCPA) sent a petition to NCAA President Mark Emmert. The petition, signed by hundreds of football and basketball student-athletes from five top revenue-generating schools including the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), requested that the NCAA and college presidents use a portion of more than $775 million in new television revenues to increase student-athlete graduation rates, prevent permanently injured players from losing scholarships, pay for all sports-related medical expenses and increase scholarships to cover the actual cost of attendance.

Senator Alex Padilla represents more than 900,000 residents of the 20th State Senate District which includes most of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

“Thanks to the hard work of LAPD officers and our gang reduction efforts, crimes rates in Los Angeles are once again at historic lows,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “For nearly a decade crime has declined in LA — this speaks to the impact a record number of police officers has had on our City. In 2012, I remain committed to keeping public safety our top priority and ensuring that our communities continue to enjoy the safety they deserve.”

In 2011, the total number of citywide Part 1 crimes was 104,215—a decrease of 5.8%. Citywide violent crime was down 7.3% while property crime was down 5.5%.

“For the 9th consecutive year, the officers of the LAPD and the community have worked together to reduce crime in Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck. “This year’s reduction, 5.8%, is even more remarkable because it was achieved despite the continued fiscal challenges facing the City.”

Complementing the City’s police force, the Mayor’s office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development has targeted gang intervention and prevention efforts where they are needed most—in the areas of highest gang crime. Overall gang crime dropped 15.2% which represents a reduction of nearly 843 gang crimes last year. The LAPD also reported a 9.4% reduction in gang-related shots fired.

In 2011, the Los Angeles Fire Department continued to serve Angelenos by transporting approximately 500 individuals to local hospitals and responding to nearly 1,000 emergency incidents per day. Los Angeles has the lowest fire fatality rate for any large city and the LAFD averaged 48% below national fire loss levels.

”With over 350,000 calls for service in 2011, the Los Angeles Fire Department is there when you need us,” said Los Angeles Fire Chief Brian Cummings.

Also present at the press conference were federal officials from the United States Department of State and the United States Marshal Service who were instrumental in helping the Arson Task Force apprehend the suspected arsonist responsible for the recent string of arson fires.

At LAX, the total number of reported crimes dropped 27% to 1,612 in 2011 from 2,220 in 2010. Major crime decreased by 29% to 508 incidents in 2011 from 715 incidents in 2010. Reports of Part 1 Property Crime, the more common type of crime that affects the quality of passengers’ experiences at LAX, decreased 29 percent to 503 incidents in 2011 compared to 710 in 2010.

“LAX is one of the safest, high-density and high-traffic areas in the City of Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles Airport Police Chief George Centeno. “The total number of crimes is remarkably low, given the over 250,000 people – travelers, visitors and workers – come to LAX every day. The 2011 crime statistics are a direct testament to the dedicated hard work provided by every sworn police officer and civilian employee.

The City of Los Angeles continues to experience reductions in crime due in part to an expanded police force, more targeted police strategies, community policing, improved enforcement tactics, as well as the implementation of the City’s comprehensive gang initiatives.

“The Clean Truck Program has greened our port for the long haul and ensured Angelenos will breathe cleaner air for generations to come,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “We have proven that we can increase economic and environmental sustainability at the same time. With $1.5 billion worth of investments in capital improvement projects over the next five years, we plan to keep the Port’s status as the nation’s premier trade gateway.”

Responding to the Mayor’s call for a comprehensive strategy for cutting port-related emissions, the Port of Los Angeles developed the Clean Truck Program – a plan to reduce pollution and offset public health risks from Port trucks. Through the program, the Port of Los Angeles offered incentives to purchase Clean Trucks while enacting a progressive truck ban with associated fees.

“The Port of Los Angeles, along with our industry partners, has made the business of moving cargo cleaner,” said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D., “The results speak for themselves, and we couldn’t be more proud of reaching this milestone.”

The Port exceeded the goal of reducing harmful emissions from trucks alone by at least 80 percent and did so ahead of schedule. Emission studies show that since 2005, emissions from trucks alone have been reduced dramatically\, including a 92% reduction in sulfur oxides, an 89% reduction in diesel particulate matter, and a 77% reduction in nitrogen oxides– the primary pollutants associated with smog and asthma.

“The American Lung Association in California congratulates the City of Los Angeles for its continued efforts to reduce lung damaging pollutants in our air,” said Jane Warner, President and CEO of the American Lung Association in California. “Important efforts such as the Clean Trucks Program will, over time, protect millions of lives and save California much more than it ever will cost.”

Overall, the Port has reduced sulfur oxide emissions by 76%, diesel particulate matter by 69%, and nitrogen oxides by 50%. These numbers surpass the original goal to cut 45% of total Port emissions.

“Today we are celebrating a national model that has set the bar for what it takes to create healthy neighborhoods for port area residents while promoting a vital port economy.” said Patricia Castellanos, LAANE Deputy Director and Chair of the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports. ”Above all we applaud the Villaraigosa administration for their commitment to the program’s long-term sustainability that promises the creation of good jobs and reduction of toxic diesel rig emissions for years to come.”

The plan has allowed the port to grow while ensuring that environmental impacts on our communities are reduced and the environmental benefits are sustained. The Port is continuing its greening efforts by fostering new green technologies, including a pilot program for a commercially feasible zero-emission truck.

“The Clean Truck Program provided a clear roadmap for forward-thinking businesses to compete without dirty trucks,” said David Petitt, Director of the Southern California Air Program for the Natural Resources Defense Council, “Its success represents a major step towards our climate and clean air goals, bringing relief to millions of Californians whose health has been negatively affected by diesel truck pollution.”

The Port of Los Angeles is the leading destination for imports from Asia, the nation’s number one port center based on trade volume and the number one customs district. Upcoming projects will expand capacity and opportunities for exporters to grow their operations with manufacturing space and increased movement of goods.

For example, the Port’s main channel deepening project will allow the world’s largest ships to call at all of the Port’s terminals. The China Shipping terminal is doubling in size to include 142 acres as well as an additional 2,500 feet of wharf space. Additionally, three new roadway and rail infrastructure improvement projects amount to more than $250 million in investments that will make it easier for goods to get to market.

More than 43,000 direct jobs are connected to marine terminal operations at the Port, and it is estimated that every $1 billion in exports creates 5,500 jobs in LA. That is why growing the Port is an integral part of the Mayor’s five point plan to create jobs in LA. The five points are: (1) reforming its business tax; (2) reducing red tape; (3) partnering for economic growth; (4) modernizing LAX and improving the Port of Los Angeles; and (5) building a 21st century transportation network.

“After another series of fires last night that brought the total to 54 since Friday, I am encouraged by the detainment this morning of a ‘person of interest’ in Hollywood.

“While the investigation continues, I am thankful for the ongoing and relentless effort by the LAFD, LAPD and other agencies to respond to these incidents and pursue every lead toward an arrest in the case. I also want to thank Angelenos for their vigilance these past few days and their patience as our public safety agencies worked under extremely challenging circumstances to not only handle the rash of arson fires, but to protect the rest of the City, as well, over the New Year Holiday.”