9,000 LOW INCOME KIDS WON'T HAVE SUMMER JOBS, CITY OF L.A. ACKNOWLEDGES

By City News Service from the Beverly Hills Courier | http://bit.ly/ixHFtf

Monday May 2, 2011 – 4:33pm (CNS) - About 9,000 kids from low-income families will not have summer jobs this year unless the City Council finds more money in its budget, city officials said today.

Federal stimulus money has dried up and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's proposed budget has far less funding for the jobs program than in past years, Community Development Department Assistant General Manager Robert Sainz told the Budget and Finance Committee.

``One word: terrible,' Sainz said when asked by the committee about the health of the summer jobs program that goes back decades.

Sainz said last year his department had about $22 million in funding for summer jobs, mostly from grants. This year, only $450,000 is available from the city's general fund to pay kids to work at city pools, parks and schools and to get business internships.

The situation is compounded by the fact that the Los Angeles Unified School District has canceled summer school, and community colleges have dramatically scaled back summer youth programs, Sainz said.

``Uniquely this year, we probably have more young people on the streets than we have the last decade,' he said.

About 6,000 kids will still find work and internships through partnerships with the private sector and LAUSD, he said, noting that the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce is helping reach out to the private sector for help.

``It's going to be an interesting summer given all that's going on,' said Councilman Jose Huizar. ``It's just concerning that this is happening all at one time.'

Sainz said the Community Development Department budgets $2,000 for each job placement. Three-quarters goes to kids' salaries, $300 is for the administrative cost of placing kids in jobs and the remaining $200 is devoted to required financial literacy programs and materials.

``All 9,000 of these kids are low income,' he said. They're under 200 percent of poverty level. These are kids that this money goes directly for their school. They use it for food. They use it for help for their rent. It's not your average middle-class kid who's going to use it for a car.'

Department General Manager Richard Benbow said the youth summer jobs program has existed in some form for decades. Benbow asked the budget committee today to boost its advocacy efforts in the hopes of getting an allocation in the federal budget being negotiated in Washington, D.C.

``Members of the council should be making personal targeted calls to members of Congress and the Senate and trying to raise the visibility of this issue,' said Councilman Paul Koretz. ``This doesn't sound like a real positive season that we're looking forward to this summer.'

Koretz and Councilman Bill Rosendahl said the full council should pass a resolution to make a request for federal funding for youth summer jobs part of the city's legislative platform.

``It's not a pretty picture if nothing happens,' Benbow said. ``It puts a strain on families that will have kids who might ordinarily be working during the summer now at home or in the street while mom and dad are at work if they're lucky enough to have a job. It puts a lot of people at risk.'