Harman, Knabe ask support for Redondo Beach job program
A Congressional economic stimulus program that funds 19 City of Redondo Beach public works positions, half a dozen Hermosa Beach public works positions, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce’s secretary and 11,000 other public and private sector jobs, county-wide, is set to expire next month.
“We need to shame local [Congressional] members not inclined to support it. If they think unemployment insurance is bad, they should fund this program,” South Bay Congressional Representative Jane Harman said at a rally in support of the program last Thursday at the Beach Cities One Stop Business and Employment Center at the Knob Hill Community Center in Redondo Beach.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin, Hermosa Beach Mayor Michael DiVirgilio and Manhattan Beach Mayor Mitch Ward also spoke in favor extending the program.
Knabe, a Republican, launched the county’s “10,000 Jobs Program” in March.
“It’s nuts to stop this program in 30 days. When you ask for a job no one asks if you’re a Democrat or a Republican,” Dana said.
He promised to “discuss” the issue with fellow Republicans.
When the $5 billion American Recovery Reinvestment Act was passed last year, most regional agencies used their portion of the funds for welfare programs.
Knabe, in contrast, proposed using Los Angeles County’s $160 million to create jobs.
“Steve Napolitano was the brains behind making this work,” Jan Vogel, executive director of the South Bay Work Investment Board, told the rally. Vogel is the program’s chief administrator.
Napolitano is Knabe’s South Bay field deputy and a former Manhattan Beach city councilman.
Within four months of Knabe announcing the program, the South Bay WIB had put 11,000 welfare recipients to work.
“I’m doing productive work and providing for my family,” said Kenneth Mauldin, a Redondo public works employee, who had been on general relief. The jobs program pays $1,400 to $1,600 per month. General relief in California pays $700 a month.
Vogel attributed the speed his agency was able to find work for 11,000 workers to partnering with existing, county work force boards. Elsewhere in the country, he said, new bureaucracies were created to administer the funds. By using existing boards, administrative costs were kept to under 10 percent, Vogel said.
In October, Knabe is to receive the 2010 SBWIB Esther Williams Award of Excellence for his job creation efforts, Vogel noted.
The majority of participants in previous SBWIB job placement programs went on to unsubsidized jobs, Vogel said.
Charlie Chowtham, president of V-cube, a Torrance teleconferencing company, illustrated the program’s multiplier effect by noting that he hired a second Transitional Subsidized Employment employee after the first one he hired was able to find a better paying, unsubsidized job.
“Funding one TSE employee effectively created two jobs,” he said.
Persons wishing to urge Congress to extend the program past its September expiration date were asked to send letters of support to either Harman or Knabe.
Their addresses are: Supervisor Don Knabe, c/o Field Deputy Steve Napolitano, snapolitano@lacbos.org or 825 Maple Ave. Torrance, Ca. 90503
Representative Jane Harman, 2321 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 3270, El Segundo, Ca. 9024. ER