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Vice President Joe Biden and Mayor Eric Garcetti paid a visit to a North Hollywood factory today as the two politicians stumped for raising the minimum wage.
Biden, Garcetti, and County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl toured the Bobrick Washroom Equipment Inc. factory on Wednesday afternoon before holding a press conference about living wages. According to City News Service, the company was chosen for their "strong commitment to employee development."
"They're excited about working here,'' Biden said of Bobrick's workers. "Most of all because they're treated with respect.'' Biden joked about the exciting prospect of working there himself, greeting workers with, "I'm Joe Biden. I'm looking for a job."
Biden praised Garcetti and Kuehl for their leadership in not only raising the minimum wage in Los Angeles, but also Los Angeles County. On Tuesday, County Supervisors followed in the footsteps of the city, by voting to raise minimum wage in unincorporated areas to $15 by 2020. "They are going to receive the equivalent of a raise of $4,800," Biden said, according to the L.A. Times. "Now for somebody in that circumstance, that's life-changing."
In contrast, Biden pointed out that the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 was inadequate.
Earlier this morning, LAPD arrested 62-year old Larry Ira Estrin at a checkpoint near the Bobrick plant. Police say he was detained around 9:15 a.m. when a police dog alerted officers to a handgun in his car. He reportedly was a photographer covering the event and may have simply forgotten the gun was in his car:
Photographer arrested for having concealed loaded handgun near Joe Biden appearance was cooperative. Sources say "no nefarious intent."
— Andrew Blankstein (@anblanx) July 22, 2015
Biden is scheduled to return to Beverly Hills this evening for a fundraising event at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, thus ruining everyone's rush hour commute. Uncle Joe will also likely ruin your Thursday morning commute as well.
#VP #JoeBiden arrives at #NoHo factory for tour touting #MinimumWage . pic.twitter.com/l0tLnAL5LN
— Gordon Tokumatsu (@GordonNBCLA) July 22, 2015
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