Local News in Brief : Defense Firms on Attack

Hughes Aircraft Co., Rockwell International Corp. and several other major El Segundo corporations are spending thousands of dollars and seeking employee support to defeat a city ballot measure that could restrict their ability to build and expand.

Campaign disclosure reports filed this week show that the companies have contributed most of the $34,940 in cash collected so far by Community Outreach, a political action committee set up earlier this year by the El Segundo Chamber of Commerce.

Hughes and Rockwell, which together have donated $20,000, also sent letters to their employees who live in El Segundo, stating their objections to the measure, company officials said.

The initiative, proposed by a residents’ organization known as Group United for Residential Rights, would prohibit a developer from circumventing existing density limits through city-approved zone changes or development agreements unless voters approve.