Defense Cuts and Job Losses

In your commendable editorial about the need to replace defense jobs, you noted “two nonprofit organizations have created the Aerospace Industry Task Force to track laid-off defense workers and to identify new training opportunities for them.”

Correctly, it was the County Board of Supervisors that created the task force. The agencies to which you referred are the Economic Development Corp. and the Community Development Commission, the housing and community development arm of the county. These two agencies provide staff support for the task force including a $90,000 planning grant from the Economic Development Administration. As a result of that grant, a strategy to deal with the downsizing problem will be released in February.

CARLOS JACKSON

Executive Director, Community Development Commission

Los Angeles County