U.S. Gives State $10-Million Economic Grant

Reiterating the Clinton Administration’s commitment to helping California’s economy recover, U.S. Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown met with the state’s political leaders Wednesday and announced more than $10 million in federal grants to California for defense conversion and scientific research.

“We cannot declare economic recovery in America until economic recovery is under way in California,” Brown said. “We have much work to do.”

Brown’s visit, his ninth to the state since Clinton appointed him as a point man for California issues, follows the President’s latest trip to the state by one week and comes shortly after a new poll showed that Californians are disenchanted with Clinton’s performance as President.

Brown, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, met with Assembly Speaker Willie Brown of San Francisco and Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti of Van Nuys--both Democrats--and had a similar session with Republican Gov. Pete Wilson.

The commerce chief described his meeting with Wilson, who has been sharply critical of Clinton, as an “open, honest, straightforward discussion.”

Wilson said the two talked about the Endangered Species Act, the President’s forestry policy, and a new Environmental Protection Agency plan that would force dramatic changes in California’s longstanding automobile Smog Check program.

Brown predicted that the grant money he disclosed would create an estimated 10,000 jobs.

The largest portion, about $7 million, will come from the Economic Development Administration for defense conversion projects in Los Angeles and Atwater, in the San Joaquin Valley.

The Los Angeles money will go for a so-called business incubator project and for an effort to use aerospace technology to produce low-polluting vehicles.

Another $3.2 million was earmarked for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego for research on climate and global changes.