A decline in the confidence of  Los Angeles County consumers continues–raising concern about where the local economy is heading, since consumer spending accounts for about 70% of  economic activity in our communities. According to the index recently released by the Lowe Institute of Political Economy at Claremont McKenna College, Los Angeles consumer sentiment declined by […]

An index assessing consumer sentiment in Los Angeles County, recently released by the Lowe Institute of Political Economy at Claremont McKenna College, sounds a warning signal that could impact the prospects of the local economy.  The index reveals a marked downturn in consumer attitudes in the County which is problematic, given that consumer spending accounts […]

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” — Booker T. Washington When it comes to eradicating homelessness, a whole lot of lifting is needed.  Fortunately, both the City and County of Los Angeles have been practicing bench-pressing, resulting in the adoption of comprehensive strategies to end homelessness along with making some funding […]

Ready for anything at the age of 78, I sold my home on the edge of Ventura County and moved into a downtown Los Angeles high-rise full of millennials and dogs. A demographic poster child for DTLA I’m not, given that my neighbors are in their 30s. And 80 percent of them work downtown, making […]

“Men argue.  Nature acts.” – Voltaire The recently released Sustainable Freight Action Plan, which tries to balance economic and environmental objectives in the race to meet climate protection goals in California, is getting mixed reviews. Developed by several state agencies in conjunction with stakeholder groups, the Plan is intended to meet the objective of improving efficiency […]

Are you 65 years old?  If so, your risk of getting Alzheimer’s is 1 in 20.  70 years old – 1 in 10.  At 75 years, it narrows to 1 in 5.  Frightening – you bet! The extent of this devastating disease is monumental. Alzheimer’s is the 6thleading cause of death in the nation and […]

Holding great promise for women who historically have been paid less than their male counterparts and whose families depend upon this income, the California Fair Pay Act, implemented in January, provides the opportunity to get it right.  So, here we are — three months later. Are employers and employees working together to close the gender […]

In a recent column here Joe Mathews, observer of all things political and an excellent journalist with a quirky sense of humor, launched the Kobe for Governor “campaign”. But I have another candidate in mind. Move over Kobe and make way for Jennifer Lawrence. Joe offers up Kobe because he hasn’t hesitated to shoot the […]

“There’s good news and slightly less good news.” – Joanne Harris, The Gospel of Loki After years of  angst and relying on patch-work, short term extensions instead of coming up with the long range funding desperately needed for infrastructure improvements to our highways and transportation systems, Congress recently passed and President Obama just signed the Fixing […]