LANCC JULY MEETING - One of the few sectors projected to grow over the next few years is international trade, but how can we take advantage of that growth to create local businesses, jobs, and income? On Saturday, July 7, the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition (LANCC) will break new ground in taking up the question of jobs creation for the Los Angeles area. The focus will be finding ways to take advantage of both the import and export sides of international trade.
The LANCC MacLellan presentation and discussion will not go into that level of detail, but it will introduce the training package and offer LA’s neighborhood councils, regional alliances, and businesses the chance to schedule a training workshop.
On the import side, the Coalition is pleased to announce that the Trade Commissioner appointed by the government of South Korea will be featured. Of particular interest is how local businesses and workers can take advantage of growth on the import side of our local commerce. For example, can LA find a way to leverage importation of equipment and products in the green energy sector in order to add to the local labor and construction markets?
It is important to recognize that a new free trade agreement has just gone into effect between the Republic of Korea and the United States. It is only 3 months old so we don't know what its effects will be, but there is reason to hope that California businesses, including the agricultural sector, will benefit. This LANCC program is therefore both timely and potentially productive.
The role of our neighborhood council system in nurturing job creation is newly developing, but our right to advise our elected officials is a central element of our existence. We have a chance to advise the City Council and the Mayor regarding improvements in city ordinances and policies that would improve the local economy. International trade and its local effects ought to be one significant element in that topic.
(The LANCC meeting info: Hollywood Constituent Center, 6501 Fountain, 10 a.m. sharp. The center can be reached by going a few blocks downhill from Sunset and Vine, and then turning right on Vine for a couple of blocks.)
(Bob Gelfand is the chair of LANCC and can be reached at [email protected]) –cw
Tags: LANCC, LA NC Coalition, Bob Gelfand, Hollywood Constituent Center, Hollywood, South Korea, business, import, export, LA Port
CityWatch
Vol 10 Issue 53
Pub: July 3, 2012
