Increase

David L. Horne, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Dec 15 2011

Practical Politics

The vast majority of African American college-going students in this state go to California’s Community Colleges—still one of the truly great bargains in America. That being said, there are plenty of current problems in the process.

Apr 21 2011

Education does pay

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Millions of dollars would flow back into the economy of the Greater Los Angeles area if just half of the high school students who dropped out last year completed their education, according to a study released today.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan statistical area was among 16 MSAs in the state analyzed by the nonprofit Alliance for Excellent Education, which studied the economic returns lost as a result of young people leaving school early.

Sep 28 2010

Fee to increase

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles City Council agreed today to boost the amount that Los Angeles residents are billed when police officers respond to a false alarm call.

The ordinance, which still needs to be signed by the mayor, would up the city's False Alarm Fee to $149 from the current $136.

The increase was planned months ago, when the council was crafting the budget for this fiscal year and looking for ways to shrink the deficit.

Sep 7 2010

Budget cuts not linked to response time

LOS ANGELES - Police Chief Charlie Beck said today the Los Angeles Police Department's response to emergencies has not been slowed down by budget cuts, but did not offer guarantees for the future.

"Many of the issues we're dealing with have not affected response time at this point. That is not to say that they won't in the future,'' Beck told the Police Commission.

Beck said the department is determined to focus its limited resources on its "core missions,'' and a quick response to emergencies is among those.

Jul 24 2009

Parking meter rates increase

Under an ordinance approved by the Los Angeles City Council, the fee for removing a “boot” (wheel lock) from a vehicle will increase from $125 to $150.

The “boot” is installed on a tire of a vehicle when the owner has failed to pay at least five parking tickets. After 24 hours, the vehicle is impounded. The higher fee is expected to generate about $743,700 a year.

The council also agreed to increase parking meter rates to a minimum of $1 per hour. The increase is expected to generate an additional $18 million a year for the city.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.
 

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.