National Economy

BEST LESSON IN PATRIOTISM

Arizona Congresswoman Urges L.A., Other Cities To Back Off Boycotts Of Her State

​An Arizona congresswoman has asked the city of Los Angeles and other governments and organizations to back off their boycotts of Arizona, arguing that the actions only "punish the wrong people," including hotel workers (translation: "Latino immigrants") in an already bad economy. In a letter ... More >>

Mayor Villaraigosa Praises Business For Not Leaving City, Proposes 'Tax Holiday' For Firms That Relocate To L.A.

​Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday praised a local business for not leaving L.A. and, at the same time, backed a proposed three-year "tax holiday" for out-of-town businesses that locate in the city. Nothing says your city leader is confident in its economy like a press conference touting a ... More >>

The Chosen One

How the labor-Latino political machine decides who serves in Sacramento

Angelenos Spending More -- A Lot More

​If your wallet is empty pat yourself on the back: You just might be an integral part of the economic recovery. The average Los Angeles household spent $3,600 in March, $600 more than one year ago, according to Bundle (via LA Biz Observed). Considering that the figure does not include mortgag ... More >>

Blue Skies Forecast For L.A. Trade

Port of Los Angeles.​2008 and 2009 were described as "dismal years" for international trade at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. But 2010 and 2011 are looking up, according to a report from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.

Some L.A. Residents Could Get Reprieves On Rent Hikes

​The Los Angeles City Council housing committee recommended Wednesday that tenants of city rent-controlled units should get a four-month reprieve on rent increases as a result of L.A's high unemployment and stagnant economy. "It's a very contentious issue and I think that the apartment owners ... More >>

COREY HAIM'S FINEST WORK?

Number Of Illegal Immigrants Decreased By One Million Since 2007

​The number of illegal immigrants in the United States was down about 800,000 last year compared to 2008, reportedly as a result of the recession and fewer job opportunities. The decrease from 11.6 million undocumented workers in 2008 to 10.8 million in 2009 was reported by the U.S. Department ... More >>

U.S. Terror Attempt Certain: LAX Police Leader Urges Vigilance

The flag of Al-Qaeda.​As Obama administration intelligence officials this week told the Senate intelligence committee that they were certain Al-Qaeda would again attempt to attack the United States within six months, the leader of the LAX police association urged vigilance at the airport that ... More >>

Don't Call La Migra Just Yet: Legalizing Undocumented Worth $16 Billion To State

​A USC Center 
for 
the 
Study 
of 
Immigrant
 Integration study released Tuesday argues that legalizing California's Latino undocumented workers could be a $16 billion boon to the state and suggests that this windfall could help Sacramento overcome its $20 billion deficit. The r ... More >>

Legalizing Illegal Immigrants Would Goose Economy, Professor Argues

UCLARaul Hinojosa-Ojeda.​There's perennial talk of how illegal immigrants take jobs from American citizens and burden taxpayer-funded institutions like public hospitals and schools. But one UCLA professor says that's all wrong: Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda, UCLA associate professor of Chicano studies, ... More >>

UCLA Anderson Forecast: Economic Growth - Yes; Job Growth - No

​We'll give you the good news first: The recession is officially over and the economy will continue to grow according to the latest UCLA Anderson Forecast. The bad news? Job losses in California will reach a record high of nearly 13 percent by the end of the month and that figure won't get bac ... More >>

How Many Sexual Innuendos Can You Find In This Item?

Big Towns Don't Cry: L.A.'s Economic Pain Continues

Only last May the respected L.A. Economic Development Corp. was cautiously predicting a slight upturn in the local economy by year's end, with a more pronounced recovery following in 2010. But that was then. In its latest study for 2009-2010, "Mid-Year Economic Forecast & Industry Outlook," LAED ... More >>

The John Birch Society Is Back!

Scrolling down a list of things to possibly do today, I came across an announcement for an appearance by John Birch Society president John McManus, who'll be in North Hollywood tonight talking about "America's Economic Meltdown." The John Friggin' Birch Society! A wave of heady nostalgia swept over ... More >>

Villaraigosa won't run for governor, Jerry Brown must be thrilled

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa just announced he will not run for California governor on Wolf Blitzer's The Situation Room on CNN, with a backdrop of the Los Angeles Magazine cover emblazoned with the word "Failure." The mayor says he plans to focus on the major economic problems facing L.A. ... More >>

Meltdown No Mo'

The general economic meltdown, alas, can have quite literal implications in the Los Angeles restaurant world. Local grilled cheese Meltdown grilled cheese restaurant in Culver City recently closed.

Ten Successful Industries Discovered!

Listen up everybody! Los Angeles-based research group IBISWorld has actually found 10 industries that are making a buck in our freefalling economy. The hard-headed bunch at IBISWorld are not types given to cheery assessments ("Rotten Eggs For Retailers This Easter" is one of their recent reports), ... More >>

Pacific Energy Bankruptcy: Another Southland Domino?

Long Beach-based Pacific Energy Resources, whose drilling explorations extend from Wyoming to offshore California to Alaska, filed for bankruptcy today. The Chapter 11 move comes amid continued economic chaos and plunging demand for oil. Only last June PE's president, Darren Katic, told an interview ... More >>

Is SoCal Aerospace Crashing -- Again?

In an ominous sign that Southern California's aerospace industry might be repeating the massive downsizing of the 1990s, Northrop Grumman today announced 750 layoffs, to occur within the next few months. According to the Daily Breeze, most of the terminations are expected to fall at the company's El ... More >>

JOURNALISM'S DEAD-- LET'S LEAVE TOWN!

Know This, America: Watching Obama With a Plate of Grits

The L.A. County Federation of Labor, to which I belong as a union delegate, threw an Inauguration Day viewing breakfast this morning. Like the Fed's annual Labor Day breakfast and other early morning rallies, this one showed some health-consciousness in the chicken sausage cakes and turkey bacon off ... More >>

Music for the Depression: Motorhead, Now More Than Ever

This press release arrived in our inbox and elicited expressions of disappointment among our staff: 2009 MUSINK TATTOO AND MUSIC TOUR CANCELEDMUSINK producers have announced that the 2009 tattoo and music tour hasbeen canceled due to the current economic climate.  The U.S. tour wasscheduled ... More >>

Lions

Lions

Los Angeles Median Home Value: $380,000

Amazing story in this week's Los Angeles Business Journal, which has been beating the hell out of the Los Angeles Times in reporting on all the billionaires in L.A. who have lost vast sums — including Kirk Kerkorian, Sumner Restore, Eli Broad — or those whose companies have vanished or might get ... More >>

June Weddings For Gays May Be Quashed

If Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was hoping for a quick injection of gay dollars into California's ailing economy this summer, it may not happen. Opponents of same-sex marriage asked the state's Supreme Court on Thursday to delay its decision to allow queer weddings until after November 4, when an ... More >>

Major Mud

With Bush providing nothing for his party to run on, 2006 shapes up as the year of the slimeball

The Architect

Miguel Contreras, 1952 – 2005

The Godfather

Miguel Contreras and the New Los Angeles

Anyone Seen an Economic Policy?

The GOP has a new team and the same old bad ideas. The Democrats are still pondering.

The Economic Divide

Enter the Janitors

Transforming L.A.

Street vs. Suite

Why L.A.’s janitors will win their strike

Bore and Gush

America’s nominees

The New Unionism Finds a Home

Once the nation’s most anti-union big city, L.A. has now become America’s most dynamic labor town

Richard Riordan, Pol

How the mayor got his charter and his school board

Five Big Ideas