Hundreds May Lose Jobs in LA

By Cynthia de Castro/Asianjournal.com

LOS ANGELES – Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Tuesday that his proposed FY2008-2009 budget will include the layoff of 767 City employees to balance the city budget.

“The budget I will present to the City Council next week will include some deep cuts and difficult choices, but it will preserve our core priorities,” Mayor Villaraigosa said.

In the face of a $406 million projected budget shortfall for next year, the mayor said he is doing the necessary measures but reiterated his pledge to protect public safety.

“The budget will preserve our historic buildup of the Los Angeles Police Department, protect other critical public safety functions and infuse our neighborhoods most at risk of gang violence with targeted services our kids need to stay off the streets and of gangs,” said Villaraigosa.

Based on a comprehensive review of City services, the 767 positions to be eliminated will come from nearly every City department.

The Mayor’s FY2008-2009 budget – to be released on April 21 – will contain a list of additional cost-saving measures, including potential mandatory furloughs and shortened work weeks. Included in the plan will be $1.50 in spending cuts for every dollar in new revenue.

(www.asianjournal.com)

Major Earthquake to Hit California – Forecast

by Cynthia De Castro/Asianjournal.com

LOS ANGELES – A new research study released Monday reported that Southern California is likely to experience an earthquake of 6.7 magnitude or greater in the next 30 years. Researchers found that there’s a 46% chance of a magnitude 7.5 or greater temblor striking in the next few decades.

The study marks a rare effort to actually forecast the likelihood of a major temblor in California known as “earthquake country.” The report is significant because such a large temblor could cause billions of dollars in damage as well as loss of life.

“This new, comprehensive forecast advances our understanding of earthquakes and pulls together existing research with new techniques and data,” explained USGS geophysicist and lead scientist Ned Field in a statement. “Planners, decision makers and California residents can use this information to improve public safety and mitigate damage before the next destructive earthquake occurs.”

The forecasts were made by combining “information from seismology, earthquake geology, and geodesy [measuring precise locations on the Earth’s surface. For the first time, probabilities for California having a large earthquake in the next 30 years can be forecast statewide.

Study participants include the US Geological Survey, the California Geological Survey and the Southern California Earthquake Center.

(www.asianjournal.com)