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GUEST: LA City Councilman Richard Alarcon, representing District 7

Nearly a quarter of all people living in the City of Los Angeles, are considered living below the poverty line, according to the last census in 2000. As the economy worsens, wages are flat-lining, health care is less accessible, jobs are more scarce, housing is less affordable, and poverty seems to be getting worse. In April 2007, members of the LA City Council created an Ad-Hoc Committee on Ending Poverty in Los Angeles to “develop an all-inclusive roadmap on how the City of Los Angeles can alleviate and ultimately end poverty in Los Angeles.” Councilmember Richard Alarcon took the lead in creating this committee. He represents District 7, which includes the communities of Pacoima, Lake View Terrace, Panorama City, Mission Hills, North Hills, and Sylmar. Alarcon recently introduced a resolution in the City Council to change the standards by which Federal Poverty guidelines are calculated in California. This could increase the amount of federal funds to state, county and local programs.

For more information, call Becca Doten at 213-847-7777, or visit www.lacity.org/council/cd7/