New jobs at Inglewood City Hall despite hiring freeze

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment


Since calling for a hiring freeze in early February to help close a $10 million budget gap, the Inglewood City Council has approved the hiring of 21 new employees at a cost of nearly $2 million.

The new hires include four in the planning department, two in the city clerk’s office, four in the police department, nine in the parks and recreation department and two in residential sound institution.

The salaries and benefits for the new hires will add a cost of nearly $2 million to the city’s $324 million budget. Three of the positions are described as part-time, and seven are temporary.

During the hiring freeze, each new position must be approved by the city council, an additional step in the hiring process.

Councilwoman Judy Dunlap said each hire is examined closely and that all of the hires the council has approved since the freeze went into effect are crucial to providing key city services.

“We are looking at tremendous cuts and expenditures,” said Dunlap. “We strongly consider these things when we’re looking at hirings.”

The jobs deemed most crucial after the council approved the freeze were those in the city clerk’s office, which have been filled.

In her request for the city council’s approval of new hires for her office, City Clerk Yvonne Horton anticipated six elections taking place in Inglewood between June 2010 and June 2011, half of them runoff elections. Horton told the council that the positions “will allow the City Clerk’s office to provide excellent service to the community.”

The city budget allots less than $600,000 to the city clerk’s office. The two new hires will cost $161,000 combined.

Ed Maddox, public information officer for Inglewood, said other jobs, such as those needing to be filled in the planning department, are handled on a “case-by-case” basis. Some requests were made before the Feb. 2 hiring freeze gained approval, complicating the approval process.

In the planning department, lack of adequate staffing has delayed plans to convert Hollywood Park into a housing and business development, according to city staff.

Council Member Ralph Franklin said the planning department jobs are a catalyst for future job opportunities.

“By hiring planners, we stimulate the job market with these projects that allow for more jobs to be created,” Franklin said. “The money is recycled back into the city.”

Dunlap said the city council is still in the process of completely providing permission for each department to choose final job candidates. She said the city council should be presented with a new list of prospective planning department employees within the next two weeks.

More from Inglewood City Hall:
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Animo Justice students and parents protest school closing

March 28, 2010 By 1 Comment


Courtesy of Miguel Zavala

Tenemos el Animo Pero No Justicia!

On March 26, Animo Justice Charter High School students and parents protested the closing of Animo Justice and marched to Green Dot Headquarters. Green Dot CEO Marco Petruzzi met with students and parents, who walked out after listening to Green Dot’s explanation of school closures. Animo will be the first Green Dot school to close. The non-profit organization runs 19 schools in the Los Angeles area.

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For more on the story, check out the coverage on Neon Tommy.com.

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Forum explores impact of health care overhaul

March 28, 2010 By 21 Comments


imageLeticia Rodriquez, a nutrition assistant with the Watts Health Care Corporation and SEIU 721 member with her three children.

South Los Angeles residents gathered for a community health forum on Saturday, March 27, held at the Bethune Park, to hear Rep. Laura Richardson speak about the impact of President Obama’s health care overhaul on community clinics and hospitals.

“The bill is not perfect, but it’s a good start,” said Richardson, who just flew back from Washington D.C., after last weeks final vote on the bill. “From here we can begin to make improvements.”

Under the congresswoman’s 37th district, which includes Watts, Willbrook, Compton, Carson, Long Beach and Signal Hill, the bill will fund $11 million towards clinics, improve coverage for 299,000 residents and will extend coverage to 92,500 uninsured people.

“In America you have the right to life. You can’t have a life if you don’t have a healthy life,” said Richardson.

The bill will also begin to close the Medicare Part D drug coverage gap known as the “donut hole” for 63,000 senior citizens, said Richardson.

Under the “donut hole” system, Medicare beneficiaries were required to pay 25 percent of their medication after paying deductibles and premiums. Once the plan exceeded the $2,830 limit, they had to pay the full cost of their medication. After they finished spending more than $3,000, they qualified to only pay 5 percent of their costs.

“Senior citizens shouldn’t have to choose between food or medication,” said Richardson.

The congresswoman also endorsed the involvement of the health care workers union, SEIU 721, in negotiating contracts and organizing possible strikes.

“It’s so important that SEIU be at the bargaining table,” said Richardson after giving an anecdotal speech on her mother’s days as a Teamster labor unionist. “With the 30 million people that will be receiving health care, a lot of money is going to be made, and health care workers should receive reasonable wages and pensions.”

Following Richardson’s applauded speech, a nutrition councilor from SEIU 721, told the audience the union is fighting to save the Watts Health Care Corporation, an urgent health care center that extended its service hours after the closing of the King Drew Medical Center emergency room in 2007.

“The clinic may have to shut down its extended services and cut staff, which will increase lines and wait time,” said Luz Leon who has worked for the Watts Health Care Corporation for more than 18 years.

After the emergency room was shut down, the Watts Health Care Corporation, located less than two miles away from the King-Drew hospital, was allocated money from the Los Angeles Medical Preservation Fund. The bill provided $100 million a year to help neighboring clinics and hospitals expand their services. This permitted the Watts Health Care Corporation to extend its work hours and remain open on Saturdays.

The bill, however, did not contemplate funding past 2009-2010. The MLK-Drew “replacement hospital” will not open until December 2012 at the earliest, and this is projected to be a partial opening.

SEIU 721 is now trying to gain support for the SB 1409 bill that would prolong the additional funding.

Managers of the Watts Health Care Corporation are also in negotiations with SEIU 721, to bargain their employees’ contracts that expired in January. The managers wants to raise their employees’ monthly premiums for families of two or more, from $20 to more than $500, said Leticia Rodriquez, a nutrition assistant at the clinic.

“It’s scary. If they raise the premium, we are going to have to go without health insurance,” said Rodriquez, a mother of three children. “Our income is over the guideline for Medical.”

The problem with health care access in South Los Angeles, Rodriquez said, “is that people who have no income qualify for public services, but small businesses and companies can’t do that.”

SEIU is planning to hold another community forum April 6 to further discuss the needs of community clinics in South Los Angeles.

“Count me in the fight,” Richardson said.

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Inglewood residents fear an onslaught of special elections

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment


Over the next eight months, Inglewood voters may find themselves casting ballots in local elections not once, not twice, but as many as five times.

The voting begins with a special election on June 8 to fill the post vacated by Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn, who abruptly resigned in January after pleading guilty to a charge of public corruption.

If one candidate does not receive the majority of the votes, a runoff election will be scheduled no more than 70 days later, meaning some time in August, according to the city charter.

Close contests that result in runoffs are not uncommon in Inglewood. The city’s last mayoral election – in 2006 – went to a runoff, as did the election that year for the District 1 council seat.

“When you have a fresh election with new people, yes, [a runoff] is very common,” said Yvonne Horton, city clerk for Inglewood.

If one of the three council members who are vying for the mayoral spot wins, another election may be required to fill their vacated post.

And that’s not it.

Inglewood’s “worst-case scenario” could include an onslaught of special elections, said Elliott Petty, of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy and the Coalition for a Better Inglewood.

“I very easily see four to five elections in the next eight months, a low turnout, and a lot of money for the city,” Petty said.

Kareem Crayton, an expert on election law and politics at the University of Southern California, called it the “domino effect of election vacancies.” While he said special elections are not uncommon, “the people who design these election rules do not really consider the costs associated with the ‘worst case scenario.’”

The June election alone will divert more than $100,000 from Inglewood’s general fund, Horton said. By consolidating the local election with a statewide race, the city will not have to hire its own poll workers.

But, according to Horton, that doesn’t mean the election is free. “[The state] will give us a quote, and we have to pay them,” she said.

The price tag for each subsequent runoff election would be the same, with the cost shouldered entirely by the city.

Further complicating matters is the fact that the nominating period for the November’s regular mayoral election runs from July 12 to August 6.

“Special elections happen all the time for any unfortunate reason,” said Sherry Mosley, an expert on governmental affairs at the University of Southern California. “But if that ran into a November election, then why are they having a November election?”

Council members are considering consolidating a potential runoff with the November election, said Edward Maddox, the Inglewood public information officer.

“They would need to petition to put something on the ballot that would change the rules,” Maddox said. “There is talk about that but council hasn’t taken any action.”

Residents are worried about what this potential election overload could do to voter turnout.

“I tend to believe after so many elections people get tired and dismayed,” Petty said. “You hear a lot of promises, and you get tired of the promises.”

Recent political events in Inglewood, however, have sparked an increased interest at city council meetings. The first council meeting after Dorn’s resignation drew a standing-room-only crowd.

“I hope these citizens see there’s a change happening,” Raynald Davis, an Inglewood resident, observed at the time. “And we need to take a stand as a city.”

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Candlelight vigil for man killed by gang stray fire

March 26, 2010 By 1 Comment


imageIt’s a birthday Vilma Rivera will never forget. On March 23rd, at about 6 p.m., the 46-year-old was returning home with her husband Mario, 51, after buying food for her birthday dinner. As they reached the sidewalk on Crenshaw Boulevard and 29th Street, Mario was hit in the back by two stray bullets from a shootout between two alleged gang members. He was taken to the hospital, but died soon after.

On Thursday evening, the sidewalk between a strip mall and a parking lot turned into a makeshift altar for Mario. About two dozen of his family and community members gathered with candles and a bouquet of white roses for a candlelight vigil in his memory.

“We were walking down the street, and were not expecting this violence,” said Vilma. “We were going back home to have dinner with the family, but we could not get that. We got a tragedy.”

imageMario’s friend Jandy Cisneros said she would always remember him as a loving and caring person who was always with his family. “He was a musician. He had an internet radio talk show, he was a member of a band, and played the keyboard, piano and guitar. He loved music, and that’s how we’re going to remember him,” she said.

The Riveras moved to the U.S. from Guatemala three years ago. They initially settled in the San Fernando Valley, but moved to the Crenshaw neighborhood three months back. The couple did not like life in the U.S and were planning to move back to their country next month, said Cisneros.

Mario is survived by his daughters Grisel, 27, Vivian, 25, son Diego, 18, and two grandchildren. His nephew, Mynor Mancella, 24, said the family was devastated by the sudden loss. “Vilma wishes it had happened to her instead of her husband,” said Mancella. “He was everything to her. They were high school sweethearts and have been through everything together.”

Mancella said though he had lived here for three years, he did not feel safe. Three months ago, his aunt got mugged at a gas station where she worked on Crenshaw and Adams, and two years earlier, a security guard was killed at a Bank of America nearby. “When a man leaves home in the morning, there’s no knowing if he will come back to his family at night,” said Mancella.

imageLEFT: Mario’s wife Vilma and Eddie Jones, president of the Los Angeles Civil Rights Association

Eddie Jones, president of Los Angeles Civil Rights Association, who organized the vigil, said the aim was to show the community that “we are not going to tolerate this anymore.” “This is about blood. The community is extremely upset and we want to come together to do everything to keep crime rates down,” he said.

On Saturday Jones plans to organize a drive to trim the bushes and grass on the sidewalk behind which the shooter was hiding. “We are going to work along with the LAPD and with the community to get these shooters off the streets,” he said. No arrests have yet been made in the case.

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Family members stand beside a portrait of Mario Rivera who was killed in a possible gang-related shootout in Crenshaw Tuesday.

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Vilma Rivera cries holding a picture of her husband.

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Family members stand at the makeshift altar for Mario Rivera.

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Pot legalization initiative to appear on the ballot

March 25, 2010 By 1 Comment


State bans on recreational marijuana use are now a step closer to going up in smoke. Californians will vote later this year on a measure allowing people over 21 to possess up to an ounce of pot. Listen to an audio report by Ariel-Edwards Levy of Annenberg Radio News:

Secretary of State Debra Bowen certified March 24th that the petition had received more than 500,000 valid signatures. Dan Newman is a strategist working with the campaign. He says legalizing the marijuana business could reduce drug-related arrests and help California raise some much-needed green.

It’s estimated by California’s tax regulators that it would bring in over a billion dollars per year, which could be used by a state that’s obviously in dire fiscal straits right now, Newman says. That’s money that could be used to really fund what matters, while at the same time freeing law enforcement to be able to dedicate their resources to preventing violent crimes.

The initiative would also let people grow up to 25 square feet of marijuana. And it would allow local governments to further authorize the production and sale of marijuana.

Toking up in public, in the car or around minors would still be prohibited.

Community Alliances for Drug Free Youth spokeswoman Aimee Hendle says the bill still sends the wrong message. “Even if you try to slap an age limit on it, its been proven that when perception of risk is lowered, then the amount of use goes up” she said. “How can our kids say no when the adults around them are saying yes?”

Hendle says she is not convinced the bill will save money.

In 2005, the state of California spent $19.9 billion on substance abuse and addiction and only collected $1.4 billion in tax revenue, she says. If marijuana is legalized, its only going to add that deficit despite the money that tax revenue will bring in.

Early polling shows most Californians are high on the idea. The issue has not been on the ballot since 1972, when voters strongly rejected decriminalization. But a field poll taken last April found 56 percent of state voters favored legalizing and taxing pot.

People understand that the current marijuana laws just simply are not working, and that includes law enforcement officers, and judges and teachers and doctors, Newman says. There’s a pretty broad consensus that the situation right now doesn’t work, and if you set up a system with common sense regulations and controls, you not only would benefit from the tax revenue, but you would also take away the business model from these violent drug cartels.

A Rand Corporation report on the proposed legalization found that the effects would be hard to predict. The report said more research should be done on issues such as whether marijuana might become cheaper if legal, and if the heavy proposed taxes would keep the black market thriving.

If the measure passes, it will still conflict with federal law banning marijuana use.

To hear what South LA residents think about the initiative, listen here:

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LISTEN: Interview With Author About The Homicide Epidemic And Its Victims

March 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment


During Dr. John Rich’s work at a Boston City Hospital during a violent period in the 1990s, he began noticing a disproportionate amount of young Black men showing up on hospital beds. At first, he and many of his colleagues felt that the men must have been criminals in order to end up in the emergency room, but after some in-depth interviews, Rich discovered that many of these victims of violence were just that, victims. Now, as a professor and Chair of Department of Health Management and Policy at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he has a program to aid people suffering from the physical and emotional wounds of violence. His book, “Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Trauma and Violence in the Lives of Young Black Men,” compiles the stories of the men he talked to about their experiences. Annenberg Radio News host Heather Hope spoke with him:

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Ecosystems open at the new California Science Center

March 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment


Now you can explore the varied ecosystems of land and sea, and discover how the physical and living worlds are connected and shaped by the same fundamental ecological principles. You can experience it by visiting the Ecosystems exhibit at the California Science Center. It is the only one of its kind in the United States. Amanda Herman of Annenberg Radio News has an audio report about Ecosystems.

Hundreds of kids ran from the islands off the coast of South America to the flash floods of the desert and back to urban Los Angeles all within a few steps at todays opening of the California Science Center’s newest exhibition wing. Eleven different rooms feature diverse ecosystems from across the world, featuring more than 250 species of plants and animals. The broad range of environments and creatures in the exhibition makes it the only one of its kind of the United States.

“There are just so many favorite things about the exhibit that I absolutely love,” said William Harris, the Senior Vice President of Marketing for the California Science Center. “What we hear from the public is that they love everything.”

The live habitats and hands on activities nearly doubles the amount of exhibition space at the Science Center. Harris hopes this will draw in people of all ages, as well as students.

“We have to be lifelong learners, and that is what the Science Center is all about,” Harris said. “We are trying to keep people thinking and exploring throughout their lives.”

Highlights include a River Zone that shows visitors the power and impact of currents through interactive wind machines, an Island Zone noticing how isolated species evolve, and a Desert and Flash Flood Zone that explores how animals adapt to the extreme heat of day and harsh cold of night.

“My favorite part was going to the pole. I looked at everything. I loved it, it was so cool,” Eighth grader Sarah Holmes said. Holmes came to the exhibit opening with her school.

Other students enjoyed the interactive aspects of the exhibit which includes games, videos, and touch tanks.

“I liked the part where I was in the desert and then it was flashed and all the water came because you get water on your hands”, said 7-year-old Kiara Scottlyn.

The exhibit features a 24-foot long transparent through a 188,000 gallon kelp habitat. The tank is populated with more than 1,500 live fish, kelp, and other marine life. It is the only walk-through kelp habitat in the world.

“You have a chance to really understand what it is like to be a species living in a kelp forest,” Harris explained. “There are so many wonderful experiences for the public to stimulate learning.”

More information about exploring the sights and sounds of the Ecosystems exhibit at the California Science Center can be found at http://www.californiasciencecenter.org.

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Community health fair has good things in store

March 25, 2010 By 1 Comment


April 24th will be a good day to get on your walking or running shoes and take part in the Foundation for Second Chances’ first-ever 5K Walk/Run.  You’ll not only be getting some exercise, but you will be helping FFSC raise money for their programs.

image Foundation for Second Chances is hosting its 4th annual community health fair “A Taste of Health and Fitness” on Saturday, April 24th from 10 am to 4 pm at the Rancho Cienega Sports Complex. 

Foundation for Second Chances, Inc (http://www.ffscinc.org) is a community-based organization that sponsors mentoring, hands-on education and community service to maximize the potential of young people in South Los Angeles. 

The 5K Walk/Run is a new feature of FFSC’s annual community health fair.  The 5K will feature an obstacle course designed by celebrity trainer Tarik Tyler.

Some of the other highlights of the fair will be:

•      A FREE Farmers Market
•      FREE Dental, Vision and Health Screening/Testing for children and their families
•      Live Entertainment-dancer, singers, demonstrations and more!
•      Games, activities and workshops for all ages

FFSC needs your help to make this the best and most meaningful fair it has held yet.  Here’s how you can be a part of it:
       
1.    REGISTER YOURSELF, FAMILY, FRIENDS and COWORKERS for the 5K WALK/RUN. This is one of the most important components of the event, and will help us to continue providing needed resources and programs to the South LA Community.
2.    Invite your company, favorite health food store, or friends in the health industry to purchase a booth through which they can promote their services (a booth is $75).
3.    Invite your company to be an event Sponsor.

Forms for sponsorship, vendor booths and to register for the 5K are available online.

Melissa Wyatt, founder and executive director FFSC, is a committed and tireless worker on behalf of South LA kids and their parents.  While she hopes the community health fair is fun and exciting for all who take part, she is careful to emphasize the real need behind the event:  “to raise public awareness and to encourage marginalized individuals to assume responsibility for their own health and fitness.”

“The Health Fair is in a high-needs area within the County of Los Angeles, where the majority of residents are low income, “working poor” and have minimal resources. Low-income, poor nutrition and a lack of transportation result in a lack of access to information and health services, making it difficult for these families to address their health needs. Our fair takes much needed health services and other programs directly to the people who are most in need, and helps people to help themselves and each other,” Wyatt said.

Visit the Foundation for Second Chances website for more information about the fair and the work of FFSC.
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Mobile medical clinic to come to South L.A.

March 24, 2010 By 2 Comments


Free health services are coming to South Los Angeles next month.

Lawmakers announced Wednesday that the Remote Area Medical mobile clinic will be setting up shop at the Los Angeles Sports Arena from April 27 to May 3.

Last summer, the Remote Area Medical clinic at the Forum in Inglewood drew in 6,300 uninsured and under-insured people.

It was the largest in Remote Area Medical history, eliciting the help of 3,827 volunteers to provide $2.8 million in free services.

Unfortunately, the demand was higher than the supply.  Last year’s mobile clinic had to turn away thousands.

This year, Remote Area Medical is attempting to engage enough doctors, dentists, and healthcare professionals to treat and feed 1,200 people a day.

“When you turn away as many thousands of people are we did, and I was unfortunately the person who had to go out and give them the bad news, you want to go back and say, ‘Let’s try it again,’ ” Stan Brock, a Remote Area Medical sponsor, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “These were nice folks. It never ceases to amaze me, every time we do one, the condition of people in this country and how many cannot get the basic care they need.”

For more information, check out Remote Area Medical’s website.

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