Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday, Feb. 26, to unveil what his administration called a first-of-its kind economic blueprint for job growth throughout the state.
During his visit, the governor also announced an additional $13 million to support economic recovery and small businesses in L.A. County following last month’s devastating wildfires.
“I’m not naive about the economic challenges, particularly here in Southern California. … I’m not naive about the imperative to remove debris concurrently to get people to feel optimism again, getting permits, getting people starting to rebuild their community,” Newsom said.
“But we also need to be rebuilding confidence in the economy here in Los Angeles and the broader region, particularly as we build up to the Olympics, build up to other large-scale events,” he added.
The governor’s remarks came during a news conference at East Los Angeles College where, moments before, he spoke at an economic forecast event put on by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
The statewide California Jobs First Economic Blueprint is intended to guide state investments in key sectors to spur economic growth, innovation and access to good-paying jobs in all 13 regions of the state over the next decade. It aims to streamline economic, business and workforce development programs to create more jobs and to do so more quickly.
The statewide plan was more than three years in the making and reflects ideas taken from 13 regional plans developed by stakeholders in different parts of California.
Maybe pad this with a little background on the state’s economic situation right now?
Given last month’s wildfires in L.A. County, Wednesday’s talk of economic development quickly turned to talks about rebuilding communities.
Newsom maintained that while the state is waiving certain environmental review processes as part of the California Environmental Quality Act for homeowners who are rebuilding after the L.A.-area wildfires, the state continues to have the highest building safety standards – regulations which aren’t being waived.
The goal, he said, is to rebuild smarter so communities are resilient amid climate change.
The governor also said the state has had a great working relationship with the city and county of L.A. and underscored the importance of maintaining partnerships with all levels of government – including President Donald Trump, with whom Newsom has frequently sparred.
“That’s why I have no problem calling balls and strikes and thanking (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator) Lee Zeldin and thanking President Trump for Phase 1 of the debris removal as he cuts the U.S. Forest Service, as he had his representatives out here attacking some state projects like the high-speed rail,” Newsom said.
“We can agree to disagree,” he continued. “But at the end of the day, it’s essential in this disaster framework and recovery that we all work together.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.