PACE Presents Entrepreneur Training Program

(PACE) — PACE will present an Entrepreneur Training Program on Saturdays, July 31 through Aug. 28, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The program will be held at the PACE Business Development Center, 1055 Wilshire Blvd., suite 900B. This is a 25-hour business startup course for entrepreneurs that want to start a new business but don’t know where to begin.

Over the past 34 years, PACE has provided assistance to more than 600,000 low-income, ethnic minority residents of the Los Angeles area. Today, its scope of services includes work force development, business development, financial education and asset building and more.

Admission is $75.

Additional information about PACE: www.pacelabdc.org.

Free Money Matters Workshops Slated

(FamilySource) — FamilySource - Southeast II will host free Money Matters workshops for South Los Angeles residents with low to moderate incomes Aug. 3, 10 and 17, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at 9219 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.

The workshops are being held to help the community learn how to keep their money during hard times.

The FamilySource Center - Southeast II is a one-stop community resource hub offering free services and programs for Los Angeles city residents to help improve family and individual income and youth academic success. Enrollment in FamilySource is required to attend the workshops. 

Provide proof of address, income and photo identification.

Information: (323) 777-3120.

Center Invites Public to Join Its Entrepreneurial Training Program

(VSBEC) — The Vermont Slauson Business Enterprise Center invites the public to join its Entrepreneurial Training Program.

The free program is designed for those who are emerging entrepreneurs contemplating their next innovative business idea or established business owners on their way to the Fortune 500.

Introductory three-week and comprehensive eight-week classes will be offered covering topics such as market research, feasibility studies, and the components of a sound business plan. New classes start Aug. 5 and 7 at 6109 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles.

To enroll, e-mail ichambeshi@vsedc.org or call (323) 789-4515.

Black Employees Say SoCal Edison Discriminates

(AP) — Eleven former and current black employees have filed a discrimination lawsuit against Southern California Edison.

The July 20 Los Angeles Superior Court suit claims there’s a “racially hostile” work environment in which few blacks are in senior management at the utility. They also allege unequal pay and job assignments.

Plaintiffs attorney Charles T. Mathews says blacks are second-class citizens at Edison.

Utility spokeswoman Vanessa McGrady said the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

Rosemead-based Southern California Edison has 17,000 employees. The utility serves more than 14 million people in a 50,000 square-mile area of central, coastal and Southern California.

Information from: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, www.dailybulletin.com.

Forecasters Say SoCal Economy Gaining Strength

(AP) — Forecasters say rising tourism, a thriving entertainment industry, and a jump in international trade projections will help strengthen Southern California’s economy.

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. says in its forecast released July 21 that there are positive signs after years of recession.

But researchers say the economy remains weak because of lingering high unemployment, tight credit and a struggling housing and construction industries.

Chief economist Nancy Sidhu says researchers believe that, rather than a relapse, the economy will grow.

Brown and CalPERS Launch Probe Into Excessive Local Government Salaries

(Office of the Attorney General) — Spurred by the outrageously high salaries paid to public officials in the city of Bell, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. July 22 launched a joint investigation with CalPERS into the compensation paid by Bell and other local governments throughout the state.

Brown’s probe will examine records to determine whether any illegality, self-dealing or other improper activity occurred in Bell or other cities and counties in the state.

The attorney general’s investigation was launched after recent Los Angeles Times articles reported that Robert Rizzo, the Bell city manager, is paid nearly $800,000 a year, making him the highest-paid city manager in the state. Police Chief Randy Adams is paid $457,000 and Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia is paid $376,288 a year. Most city council members are paid nearly $100,000 for their part-time jobs.

Bell, in southeast Los Angeles County, has a population of 40,000 that includes a high percentage of low-income residents.