LOS ANGELES – Councilmember Bob Blumenfield made the following statement following the release today of the 2014-2015 California Fiscal Outlook in which the Legislative Analyst’s Office projects a $5.6 billion reserve at the end of 2014-2015:

"When I was sworn in as a freshman legislator in December 2008, the State faced a looming fiscal emergency and a state deficit of $40 billion.

Today's outlook validates the approach we took when I chaired the Assembly Budget Committee, and I'm very proud of the work we did to get California's financial health to this point."

Gov. Jerry Brown hands then-Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield the pen with which he signed the budget on June 27, 2013. Also attending the signing ceremony are Assembly Speaker John Pérez (left), state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press

Council offers support as ITA is authorized to draft RFP for release.

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield’s proposal to bring free citywide wireless broadband to Los Angeles cleared a significant hurdle today as the Council unanimously directed the City’s Information Technology Agency (ITA) to draft a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the service.

Blumenfield changes make Warner Center the “cleanest, greenest” specific plan in the City; represents a transformative opportunity for the West Valley. 

Blumenfield poses with City officials and community members following unanimous Council passage of the Warner Center 2035 specific plan

LOS ANGELES – Councilmember Bob Blumenfield was joined today by City officials and community leaders as the Los Angeles City Council gave its final approval to the Warner Center 2035 Specific Plan, opening the door to visionary projects that truly reflect the community’s hopes, values and priorities for development.

“This new plan reinvents a Warner Center that was conceived in the 1970’s as a collection of monolithic structures and expansive parking lots into a modern, pedestrian and transit focused community,” said Blumenfield.

Since taking office in July, Councilmember Blumenfield has actively pushed to incorporate new green building design standards into the plan, including LEED silver or equivalent and green roof or cool roof requirements for new construction.

Alan Bell, Deputy Director of Planning for the City of Los Angeles called the Warner Center 2035 plan the “cleanest, greenest” specific plan in the history of the City of Los Angeles.

Send strong message to Washington, endorse passage of clean appropriations bill. 

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Council today sent a powerful message to Washington, unanimously approving a resolution put forward by Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, urging the House of Representatives to end partisan brinkmanship to end the federal government shutdown.

“It is time for the Republican controlled House to stop playing games with the full faith and credit of the United States,” said Councilmember Blumenfield. “They are playing a dangerous game that is hurting Los Angeles, that is hurting all Americans. As the nation's second largest City, we have serious concerns about the impacts of a government shutdown on our City and our region if this crisis is not resolved quickly.”

New website connects constituents with City government, resources.

LOS ANGELES – Councilmember Bob Blumenfield today launched an all new web portal to enhance communication with the community about his activities and policies, to better connect them with city services and to create a virtual space for future interactions among and between the many diverse people who live in his district.  In launching the beta version of his new website, blumenfield.lacity.org, Blumenfield is reaffirming his commitment to utilize technology to make government more effective, transparent and interactive.

Community specific plan represents a transformative opportunity for the West Valley. 

LOS ANGELES – Councilmember Bob Blumenfield today urged residents to review and provide comment for the Warner Center 2035 Plan, which was released Friday, ahead of final approval by the Los Angeles City Council.

“The Warner Center 2035 Plan is the culmination of over eight years of collaboration between the community, business leaders and the City,” said Blumenfield. “The end result is a transformative vision for the future of Warner Center that has been shaped by local stakeholders, and I look forward to shepherding this plan through the final stages of approval.”

Blumenfield’s bill, passed yesterday, would extend sunset of HOV lane access for low and zero emission vehicles

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield today urged California Governor Jerry Brown to sign legislation that would extend critical consumer incentives for low and zero emission vehicles.

Information Technology Agency announces intention to open Community Broadband RFP alongside proposals for e-mail and desktop applications.

LOS ANGELES – Following direction from Councilmember Bob Blumenfied, who last month introduced a measure to explore the feasibility of free citywide WiFi, the City’s Information Technology Agency (ITA) today announced its intention to open the RFP for broadband and WiFi access concurrent with upcoming RFPs for e-mail and desktop applications as early as this October.

AB 978 latest in ongoing Blumenfield efforts to ensure states do their part to enforce Iran sanctions.

SACRAMENTO – Governor Jerry Brown yesterday signed legislation authored by now Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield to ensure that state-chartered banks and credit unions are not being used, either directly or indirectly, to funnel money to terrorist groups or the Government of Iran.

Councilmember Blumenfield’s Community Action Teams spring into action as public safety measures advance through committee.

LOS ANGELES – Continuing his commitment to engaging local communities in the civic process, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield’s Community Action (CAT) Teams sprung into action today in support of two Blumenfield measures heard in the Public Safety Committee.