Economy

Top Story: Prop. 36 treatment dollars up in smoke

Prop. 36 treatment dollars up in smoke

In theory, it was a win-win. Nine years ago, California voters overwhelmingly approved a measure to put low-level drug offenders on a path to rehabilitation while potentially saving taxpayers huge sums in jail costs. Proposition 36 guaranteed non-violent drug and alcohol abusers the right to enter community-based treatment... [Read more]

Consumer Help
Don’t be conned by tax reduction mailers

Don’t be conned by tax reduction mailers

They look like government mailings. But they aren’t. And they could cost you up to $200 for a service you can get for free. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is warning homeowners to avoid solicitations from firms charging a hefty fee to “assist” area homeowners in filing property assessment reduction forms. The mailings come in plain, official-looking envelopes... [Read more]


L.A. County Outlook
The fine art of saving jobs

The fine art of saving jobs

Against the vast backdrop of the federal stimulus program, $420,084 may not seem like such a massive sum. But to Tiffany Gallindo, it’s huge. It means she can keep her job on the front lines of the Ryman Arts program, working to bring a free visual arts education and college guidance to gifted Los Angeles high school students, many of them low-income. It... [Read more]

State & Federal News
Feds help you save green on solar panels

Feds help you save green on solar panels

Federal stimulus money is on the way to Los Angeles County for a program that will make it easier for homeowners and businesses to finance the installation of solar panels on their roofs. The $15.4 million Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, awarded at the end of September, will pay the set-up costs for a loan program to make solar panels, weatherizing... [Read more]