Transcripts

On Thursday, April 30, 2015, Town Hall Los Angeles presented the program, "Raising the Minimum Wage: Will it provide a livable wage or kill jobs in Los Angeles?" a debate between Rusty Hicks, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, and Gary Toebben, President and CEO, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. The discussion was moderated by Jon Regardie, Executive Editor of the Los Angeles Downtown News.

On Wednesday, April 15th, 2015, the 36th and 37th Governors of the state of California joined Town Hall for a discussion on how to keep the state moving forward. The discussion, moderated by Jim Newton, touched on water issues, CEQA and environmental regulations, and the legacy of prop 187. While the 36th and 37th Governors did not agree on all issues, their insight into running this large and important state provided important perspective on how to continue California's forward momentum.
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On Wednesday, May 13, 2015, Steven S. Koblik, outgoing president of The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, spoke to a Town Hall audience about his "Reflections on Leadership in the Museum World from an Outsider." Koblik discussed why doing good work does not equal survival for nonprofits, and the importance of knowing your audiences as a nonprofit. At The Huntington, Koblik said he works with six audiences: scholars, boards, major donors, members, K-12, and the general public.

On Tuesday, April 28th, The Hon. Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator (R-Fla.) and U.S. Presidential Candidate spoke at Town Hall Los Angeles about the upcoming presidential election and his priorities should he be elected president in 2016. Senator Rubio discussed his family background, his youth, and his perspectives on both domestic and foreign policies.

On April 2nd, Dennis Arriola, President and CEO, SoCalGas, spoke to Town Hall Los Angeles on "Fueling Our Future Economy." Mr. Arriola discussed the importance of diversity in our energy sources, emphasizing the role natural gas will play in the short- and long-term future. Arriola argued that energy goals must be balanced with a healthy economy, and part of that is having a balanced and diversified energy portfolio. Renewables, natural gas, hydrogen, and potential future energy sources will support each other in maintaining a reliable and safe energy supply into the future.

On Thursday, February 26th, The Hon. John Chiang discussed his plans for his term as California State Treasurer and the most pressing issues facing the office. The California State Treasurer is the state???s lead asset manager, banker and financier. Treasurer Chiang discussed the ups and downs in this economic recovery, explained some of the challenges to passing a balanced state budget, and emphasized the importance of affordable housing to the state's economy.

It???s no secret that Los Angeles has the worst traffic in the country. Although more people are using alternative modes of transportation (transit, cycling, walking), overall mobility has not improved. According to a 2014 study, Angelenos spend an average of 90 hours a year sitting in traffic.

The Hon. Kevin McCarthy, U.S. Congressman (CA, 23rd District) and Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives, provided a Town Hall Los Angeles with a congressional update on Friday, February 6, 2015. For the first time in eight years, the Republican party controls both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Congressman McCarthy discussed what's in store for the new congress and where both parties can find common ground to pass legislation.
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On Wednesday, December 3, 2014, Austin Beutner, Publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times, spoke to Town Hall about "132 Years of the Essential Conversation - Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Times." Beutner, who was named Publisher in August 2014, discussed his vision for the newspaper and how it will continue to serve our increasingly diverse community. He revealed how he was approached to become publisher of the newspaper, his relationship with the editorial board, and how much of an impact digital will have on the paper and its bottom line.
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On Thursday, November 6, 2014, Dr. Zhihang Chi, Vice President and General Manger-North America, Air China spoke to Town Hall on "U.S.-China Relations in the New World Order." Dr. Chi, who was raised in China and is a naturalized American citizen, spoke to the cultural differences between the two countries and how continued diplomacy is necessary to help each country's citizens understand each other better.
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