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Burbank Leader. CA
July 9 2011
Schiff seeks to invest in Eygpt, Tunisia firms
July 8, 2011 | 1:59 p.m.
President Obama's nominee for ambassador to Armenia, John Heffern, is
scheduled to come before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for
questioning on Wednesday.
Heffern is a career diplomat who now is the United States' deputy
chief of mission to NATO in Belgium. He has also served in Indonesia,
Africa, China and Japan.
If confirmed by the Senate, Heffern will replace Ambassador Marie
Yovanovitch, who is now deputy assistant secretary of state for
Northern and Central Europe.
Aram Hamparian, the executive director of the Armenian National
Committee of America, hopes the lawmakers will push for clarification
of White House policy on several issues being pressed by
Armenian-Americans, including support for an Armenian Genocide
recognition resolution and increased trade between the United States
and Armenia.
`We are hopeful that senators will also take full advantage of the
opportunity afforded by this hearing to seek clarification regarding
the Obama Administration's position on a range of foreign policy
issues related to the Caucasus region,' Hamparian said in a statement.
--
The city of Glendale is on the verge of getting a great deal on
hillside real estate, paying a total of $4,046 for three properties in
the hills.
The seller is Los Angeles County, which is looking to recoup
delinquent property tax revenue from parcels that have been abandoned.
Under state law, cities and other local government agencies can get
first crack at properties in default before they are auctioned.
Glendale is seeking to acquire and preserve as open space three
parcels: one on Verdugo Woods Highway at the foot of New York Avenue,
one on Cardigan Avenue near the Hillcrest debris basin; and one on
Pasa Glen Drive, off the Glendale (2) Freeway just above the Glendale
Sports Complex. The largest of the three sites is 4,700 square feet,
the smallest is 2,530 square feet.
L.A. County is expected to sign off on the sales at its July 12 meeting.
Laura Stotler, a principal planner with the city, said these parcels
are vacant and the city plans to maintain them as buffer zones around
the debris basin or between the hills and nearby homes. She said
properties acquired through a so-called Chapter 8 agreement are often
remnants of full parcels near public works projects, and so are not
well-suited to private uses.
`When we see an opportunity to pick up properties for open space at a
good price, then the city often purchases them,' Stotler said.
The acquisitions have been in the works for more than a year, Stotler
added. The city is not looking to make further purchases because of
current budget constraints, she said.
--
Trying to ensure a positive outcome after key Arab Spring rebellions,
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) introduced a measure last month for the
U.S. to invest in small- and mid-size firms in Egypt and Tunisia.
Under the legislation, the federal government would provide financial
aid, technical support and strategic advice to firms destabilized by
the political unrest.
`This is a once-in-a-generational moment, potentially one of the most
promising that we have seen in decades, in which the U.S. has an
historic opportunity to help people in the Arab world achieve a
measure of democracy and self-determination,' Schiff said in a
statement.
Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. John Kerry
(D-Mass), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).
The proposal is modeled after an effort in which the United States
spent about $1.2 billion to encourage an open economy in Eastern Bloc
countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Schiff said the
investment here would be much smaller, $20 million in the first year
and a total of $60 million over 30 years.
On Thursday, Schiff turned his attention to Syria, where the popular
rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad has been met by severe
government violence. In a speech on the House floor, Schiff
highlighted the Syrian government's torture and killing of a
13-year-old boy, Hamza Ali al-Khateeb, who was observing a political
demonstration before authorities whisked him away in April.
`Bashar al-Assad is a ruthless tyrant whose time has passed and who
clings to power by only by virtue of brutal force,' Schiff said. `Our
role and that of the international community should be to work with
Syrian opposition figures and others to advance a negotiated
transition to a new Syrian government that will represent all
Syrians.'
http://www.burbankleader.com/news/tn-gnp-0710-pollandscape,0,1874301.story
From: A. Papazian
July 9 2011
Schiff seeks to invest in Eygpt, Tunisia firms
July 8, 2011 | 1:59 p.m.
President Obama's nominee for ambassador to Armenia, John Heffern, is
scheduled to come before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for
questioning on Wednesday.
Heffern is a career diplomat who now is the United States' deputy
chief of mission to NATO in Belgium. He has also served in Indonesia,
Africa, China and Japan.
If confirmed by the Senate, Heffern will replace Ambassador Marie
Yovanovitch, who is now deputy assistant secretary of state for
Northern and Central Europe.
Aram Hamparian, the executive director of the Armenian National
Committee of America, hopes the lawmakers will push for clarification
of White House policy on several issues being pressed by
Armenian-Americans, including support for an Armenian Genocide
recognition resolution and increased trade between the United States
and Armenia.
`We are hopeful that senators will also take full advantage of the
opportunity afforded by this hearing to seek clarification regarding
the Obama Administration's position on a range of foreign policy
issues related to the Caucasus region,' Hamparian said in a statement.
--
The city of Glendale is on the verge of getting a great deal on
hillside real estate, paying a total of $4,046 for three properties in
the hills.
The seller is Los Angeles County, which is looking to recoup
delinquent property tax revenue from parcels that have been abandoned.
Under state law, cities and other local government agencies can get
first crack at properties in default before they are auctioned.
Glendale is seeking to acquire and preserve as open space three
parcels: one on Verdugo Woods Highway at the foot of New York Avenue,
one on Cardigan Avenue near the Hillcrest debris basin; and one on
Pasa Glen Drive, off the Glendale (2) Freeway just above the Glendale
Sports Complex. The largest of the three sites is 4,700 square feet,
the smallest is 2,530 square feet.
L.A. County is expected to sign off on the sales at its July 12 meeting.
Laura Stotler, a principal planner with the city, said these parcels
are vacant and the city plans to maintain them as buffer zones around
the debris basin or between the hills and nearby homes. She said
properties acquired through a so-called Chapter 8 agreement are often
remnants of full parcels near public works projects, and so are not
well-suited to private uses.
`When we see an opportunity to pick up properties for open space at a
good price, then the city often purchases them,' Stotler said.
The acquisitions have been in the works for more than a year, Stotler
added. The city is not looking to make further purchases because of
current budget constraints, she said.
--
Trying to ensure a positive outcome after key Arab Spring rebellions,
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) introduced a measure last month for the
U.S. to invest in small- and mid-size firms in Egypt and Tunisia.
Under the legislation, the federal government would provide financial
aid, technical support and strategic advice to firms destabilized by
the political unrest.
`This is a once-in-a-generational moment, potentially one of the most
promising that we have seen in decades, in which the U.S. has an
historic opportunity to help people in the Arab world achieve a
measure of democracy and self-determination,' Schiff said in a
statement.
Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. John Kerry
(D-Mass), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).
The proposal is modeled after an effort in which the United States
spent about $1.2 billion to encourage an open economy in Eastern Bloc
countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Schiff said the
investment here would be much smaller, $20 million in the first year
and a total of $60 million over 30 years.
On Thursday, Schiff turned his attention to Syria, where the popular
rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad has been met by severe
government violence. In a speech on the House floor, Schiff
highlighted the Syrian government's torture and killing of a
13-year-old boy, Hamza Ali al-Khateeb, who was observing a political
demonstration before authorities whisked him away in April.
`Bashar al-Assad is a ruthless tyrant whose time has passed and who
clings to power by only by virtue of brutal force,' Schiff said. `Our
role and that of the international community should be to work with
Syrian opposition figures and others to advance a negotiated
transition to a new Syrian government that will represent all
Syrians.'
http://www.burbankleader.com/news/tn-gnp-0710-pollandscape,0,1874301.story
From: A. Papazian