Congratulations, California. Although you've been dubbed The Golden State, seven of your cities made the top ten list for the worst cities to seek employment. After clicking through the jobless "winners," one thing is certain: Do not move to California's Central Valley.
7 Of 10 Worst Cities For Job Hunting Are In California
When Can Cyclists Ride On the Sidewalk?
Cyclists share the road with other drivers, but is there ever a time when they are allowed to share the sidewalk with pedestrians? Today the Los Angeles City Council embarked on a plan to update the municipal code to clarify the current language of the law and to specifically determine when a bicyclist can use the sidewalk.
ACLU Alleges Inmate Abuse, Calls for Sheriff Baca to Resign
Is there "pervasive abuse" going on inside our jails? That's the accusation levied by the American Civil Liberties Union in a new report that targets Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, and calls for his resignation.
"Sheriff Baca bears ultimate responsibility for the horrific details we uncovered compiling this report and must step down," said Peter Eliasberg, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union.
New Study Says L.A.'s Smog Pollution Is 'Worse Than We Thought'
Environment California just released a new report, Danger in the Air: Unhealthy Air Days in 2010 and 2011. Guess what, L.A. The top five smoggiest metropolitan areas in the country in 2010 were in California. Ground-level ozone, smog's main component, is one of the most harmful and prevalent air pollutants, exacerbating respiratory illness and causing premature death.
Is AEG Lagging On Getting DTLA Stadium Project Going?
It seemed like things couldn't get going fast enough earlier this year when the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) was trying to sell Los Angeles leaders and residents on building another sports stadium at their Downtown L.A. Live campus. They gave it a name, and Angelenos the hardsell, and the hunt for an NFL team to call it home continued.
Dirty Water: Pollution At Beaches On The Rise, Study Finds
California reached a 5-year high with 11% percent of beaches reporting an increase in bacterial contamination. In Los Angeles County, Avalon Beach, Cabrillo Beach and Colorado Lagoon topped the list of dirty waters. Poche County Beach and Doheny State Beach were the OC's biggest offenders.
Two Year Tally: 284 Injuries At SoCal Theme Parks
A state review of Orange County amusement parks for 2009 and 2010 revealed 284 ride incidents that required medical attention, according to an analysis by The OC Register. The Ghost-Rider coaster at Knott's Berry Farm had the most reported incidents.
Prison Versus Education: NAACP Report Spotlights Spending, Population Ratios
Today the NAACP released a report called "Misplaced Priorities," which "examines America's escalating levels of prison spending and its impact on state budgets and our nation’s children." Among the six cities explored in the report is Los Angeles, where "more than a billion taxpayer dollars are spent every year to incarcerate people from Los Angeles neighborhoods where less than 20 percent of Los Angeles residents live."
What's Up LA County? 'Cause It's Not Gonna Be the Rent!
If you are a renter, and looking to move in the coming months, some encouraging news: Rents between now and the end of next year are expected to decline by an estimate 3.2 percent, according to the 2011 USC Casden Multifamily Forecast, a report released today by the school's Lusk Center.
Safety Concerns Take Off At Burbank Airport
"A draft report from the Federal Aviation Administration has bared the long-standing safety issue of Bob Hope Airport's passenger terminal and its proximity to the runway," reports the Glendale News Press. In 1986, the FAA prohibited planes from taking off to the east because of a belief that the terminal was too close to the runway.
Housing Department Good at Building Homes, Lousy at Collecting Money
Details of new audit today released by City Controller Wendy Greuel show that the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) "does a very good job helping to build housing," but "they’re not good at collecting money," according to a release issued by the City Controller's office. Greuel's audit, part of an ongoing series of audits aimed at ensuring the city's funds are properly administered, looked at how more than $43 million in Special Revenue Funds are managed at the LAHD.
Happy Crossings! Local Bridges Deemed Generally Safe
If your commute includes a drive over one of the hundreds of bridges in Los Angeles, you can breathe a sigh of relief: Our bridges are pretty much safe! A report issued today by the city's Bureau of Engineering includes letter grades for all of our area bridges, and fortunately, none of them got an F, according to CBS2.
Specifics in Chasen Shooting Surface, Still No Suspect
Some specifics regarding the shooting death of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen lend detail to the case, however authorities in Beverly Hills have not publicly identified a suspect or motive, as media speculation continues to surge.
Our local Fox affiliate aired a report in which they said they'd obtained a report from the Los Angeles County coroner's office which included details about the number and location of Chasen's gunshot wounds, as reported by Beverly Hills Patch.
Federal Agency Admits Not Following Procedure in Issuing Permit for Last Summer's Deadly California 200 Race
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the federal agency responsible for issuing permits for off-highway vehicle (OHV) events, has released the results of an internal review conducted as a follow-up to the deadly August 2010 Mojave Desert crash that took the lives of eight race spectators.
One More Reason to Eat Your Veggies: Type 2 Diabetes at Highest Rate Ever in LA County
The Department of Public Health released a report recently that might make Angelenos rethink their next cheeseburger or day-long TV-watching marathon. "Type 2 diabetes, which is primarily caused by obesity, accounts for over 90 percent of all diabetes cases in the county. This coincides with rising rates of obesity which increased from 14.3% to 22.2% (1997-2007) in adults."
Study: Los Angeles is the 2nd Most Stressful City in the U.S.
Small business journal Portfolio.com yesterday released a study detailing the most and least stressful cities in the country, finding Detroit at the top of the list and Salt Lake City at the bottom. It wasn't based on personal interviews, rather it was based on data from issues that contribute to a populace's stress: Unemployment, poverty, unhealthy air, commuting and sunshine, to name a few.
2,904 Days of Risky Beachwaters in California Last Year
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has just released their 20th annual beachwater quality report, which shows that there were 2,904 "beach days"* last year when California's beaches were either closed or under advisory due to water pollution.
If Conserving Water Caused 101 City Pipes to Burst, Officials Now Say It's Time to Rethink How We Save Water
Water conservation strategies implemented last year are considered the main reason for a series of unprecedented 101 major water main breaks last summer and fall, and now city officials say they are open to making changes in the water conservation program, according to LA Now.
Poor Communication Blamed for Death of 2 Firefighters in Station Fire
Unaware of how serious a threat the advancing fire posed, two LA County firefighters were killed during last year's massive Station Fire when their truck fell 800 feet off the side of a fire road south of Acton. A report released yesterday by the Los Angeles County Fire Department "blames poor communication as a major factor" in the August 30th deaths of Arnaldo Quinones and Tedmund Hall, according to the Star-News.
Local Transportation Projects Could Create 500,000 Jobs & $68.8 Billion, Study Finds
The one thing saving Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa from two black eyes right now is his 30/10 Plan, which would build 30 years of planned public transportation infrastructure--that's 12 projects, mostly rail--in 10 years. The money is already guaranteed thanks to the voter approved Measure R, a half-cent sales tax. Problem is, the anticipated $30 to $40 billion will come in over the next 30 years. Villaraigosa's solution is to ask congress for a loan upfront with a guarantee to pay it back. So far, it's garnering praise and today it's getting another boost.
L.A. Business Council, UCLA Study Says Solar Power Doesn't Need to be So Costly
After the recent debates over renewable energy put Los Angeles into a position close to bankruptcy, a study released today says Los Angeles could garner 500 megawatts, or 3% of its energy needs, for $23 million a year with solar panels within Los Angeles. The plan would take 10 years. According to the report (.pdf), which was published by the Los Angeles Business Council and the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's recent plan only proposed 150 megawatts of local solar power.
Death Penalty Sentences on Decline in U.S., But on Rise in L.A.
On the same day that serial killer Rodney Alcala was handed a death sentence for the murder of a pre-teen girl and four women in Orange County in the 1970's, the ACLU released a report on death penalty sentences in the United States, noting that while nationwide such sentences are on decline, in California they are, in fact, on the rise.
Report Released on Fatal Pasadena Police Shooting
It was February 19th when 38-year-old Pasadena resident Leroy Barnes was sitting in the passenger seat of a car that was pulled over. As officers approached the car, Barnes put his hands into his backpack, which led to a series of events ending in his death, after 11 bullets, seven in his back, reports the Pasadena Star News.
Map: Predicted Debris Flows into Pasadena, L.A. & Other Foothills Communities
Debris flows from the 2003 Old and Grand Prix fires left 16 people dead, according to a post-Station Fire report released yesterday by the USGS. Perhaps, that's one reason to take note of the debris flow areas marked on multiple maps within the report.
New CA Tax Recommendations Could 'Reduce the Burden on the Wealthy'
A state report on restructure California's tax system is due today and the Associated Press, which obtained an early copy, has found that bold changes are recommended, prompting a large amount of skepticism. The AP explains some:
Metro Inching Towards Progress With Wilshire Rapid Bus Lanes
Turning curb lanes on Wilshire Boulevard between Downtown and Santa Monica into dedicated Rapid Bus lanes has been a project in the works for over a decade, and one that continues to crawl towards realization. Last fall a series of community meetings were held to discuss the conversion following the initiation of an Initial Study/Environmental Assessment (IS/EA) of the plan, which was to "determine whether any further environmental assessment is necessary," according to Metro. The goal was to have the report ready for viewing around this time, but in an update, Metro says "there has been a slight change to the original schedule as the environmental analysis is taking a little more time than anticipated." Now they say it will be late spring when the report is ready and more meetings can be held.
Whoops, There It Is: Confidential LAPD Report Goes Online
Yesterday, a city website published what turned out to be "a confidential report on police misconduct that included the names of hundreds of officers," much to the dismay of the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Police Protective League, abc7.com is reporting. Included in the report, which also was delivered to news media via e-mail, were "the names of about 250 officers that the internal affairs unit had investigated over allegations of racial profiling." The posting came down within an hour of being online, and the Police Commission along with LAPD reps issued apologies to the police union president, who called the incident "absolutely outrageous."
Late-Night Subway Service in 2009?
Although they admit the lead time to market the program was insufficient, Metro and the City have not committed to operating late-night Red Line service again in 2009, according to a report (.pdf) published by the Department of Transportation this week. However, they do believe Metro can "operate effective additional service" if funded and that the community may have an interest in seeing it happen again during the 2009 holiday season.
Need Money? You're Already a Victim of Discrimination
"Everyone is a victim of discrimination and everyone gets paid," according to a report that says Los Angeles' civil court system is one of seven "judicial hellholes" nationwide and ranks it the sixth most unjust. Basically, if sue for discrimination, you win, finds the American Tort Reform Foundation.

