Contact:

 Joey  Furutani  
Nakatomi  &  Associates  
(310)  914-­‐5000  
Joey@nakatomipr.com  
 
Los  Angeles  City  Controller  Wendy  Greuel    
Cites  Opportunities  for  Positive  Change    
Arising  from  Economic  Crisis  
 
In  Keynote  Address  at  Pat  Brown  Institute’s    
18th  Annual  California  Policy  Issues  Conference,    
Greuel  Calls  on  Cities  to  Reduce  Waste,  Operate  More  
Efficiently,  Chart  Course  for  Future  
 
LOS  ANGELES  (November  4,  2010)—In  her  keynote  address  today  at  the  Edmund  G.  “Pat”  
Brown  Institute’s  18th  Annual  California  Policy  Issues  Conference,  Los  Angeles  City  Controller  
Wendy  Greuel  said  the  current  economic  crisis  offers  great  opportunity  for  Los  Angeles  and  
other  cities  to  do  things  more  efficiently.  
 
In  her  presentation  entitled  “California  2011:  Where  Does  LA  Fit?”  Greuel  cited  anger  and  
mistrust  of  government  and  incumbent  politicians  on  the  part  of  voters  in  2009  and  2010  
elections.  “The  public  wants  change,”  Greuel  said,  recalling  the  City  of  Bell  corruption  scandal  
for  tarnishing  the  reputation  of  local  governments.  
 
To  earn  the  trust  and  respect  of  her  constituents,  Greuel  said  she  positions  herself  as  an  
outsider  concerned  with  stopping  waste,  abuse  and  fraud.    
 
“Sadly,  I  look  at  the  Los  Angeles  of  today  and  it  is  not  the  same  city  I  grew  up  in,”  she  said,  
adding  that  L.A.  can  move  forward  by  focusing  on  what  she  calls  the  “four  main  pillars  of  
governing,”  specifically:  Focusing  on  core  services  (public  safety,  public  works,  transportation  
and  economic  development);  not  relying  on  short-­‐term  fixes  for  long-­‐term  problems;  having  a  
reserve  fund,  and  working  on  pension  reform.”  
 
She  cited  the  national  real  estate  and  mortgage  crisis,  which  directly  affects  the  city’s  primary  
revenue  stream  –  property  taxes  –  for  creating  the  city’s  current  budget  woes.    “It  has  forced  us  
to  make  difficult  choices  here  in  L.A.,”  she  said.  Part  of  the  challenge  for  Los  Angeles  will  be  
redefining  what  residents  can  reasonably  expect  from  their  government,  she  said.  “We  have  to  
roll  up  our  sleeves  and  do  things  better.”  
 
In  her  remarks,  Greuel  lauded  the  PBI  for  focusing  on  public  policy  and  for  engaging  current  and  
future  leaders.  “As  I  look  toward  the  future  of  the  city  of  Los  Angeles,  I  want  a  city  that  knows  
where  it  is  going,”  she  said.  “That’s  where  the  Pat  Brown  Institute  comes  in.    They  are  creating  
the  future  leaders  and  the  future  advocates.”  
 
 
-­‐MORE-­‐  
 
  
PBI  Policy  Issues  Conference  2010  
Page  2  
 
Greuel  was  sworn  in  as  City  Controller  in  2009.  Previously,  she  served  seven  years  on  the  Los  
Angeles  City  Council,  representing  the  2nd  District  in  the  northeast  San  Fernando  Valley.    Before  
that,  she  worked  in  corporate  affairs  at  Dreamworks  SKG;  for  the  office  of  then–Secretary  of  
Housing  and  Urban  Development  Henry  Cisneros,  and  in  the  office  of  former  L.A.  Mayor  Tom  
Bradley.  
 
Greuel’s  speech  was  one  highlight  of  a  conference  that  brought  together  elected  officials,  civic  
leaders  and  experts  from  the  political  arena,  academia  and  the  business  community  to  discuss  
and  debate  the  future  of  Los  Angeles,  especially  in  light  of  Tuesday’s  elections.  
 
“For  the  Pat  Brown  Institute  to  host  this  conference  today,  just  two  days  after  his  son  Jerry  is  
re-­‐elected  Governor  of  California,  was  exciting,”  said  Dr.  Jaime  A.  Regalado,  Executive  Director  
of  the  PBI.    “Tuesday’s  elections  –  not  just  the  Governor’s  race  –  definitely  set  the  backdrop  for  
today’s  stimulating  dialogue  on  timely  public  policy  issues  affecting  our  region.”  
 
Attendees  heard  from  experts  on  local,  state  and  national  politics  and  policy.    In  one  panel  
entitled  “Election  2010:  Implications  for  California  and  Los  Angeles,”  panelists  discussed  the  
election  returns  and  their  potential  impact  on  the  region.    Another  panel  on  “Jobs,  the  
Economy  &  Green  Growth  in  L.A.,”  looked  at  emerging  patterns  of  unemployment  and  poverty  
and  how  to  achieve  a  higher  level  of  sustainability.  
 
“Today,  we  looked  at  where  Los  Angeles  will  be  in  the  next  5  years,  the  next  10  years,”  Dr.  
Regalado  said.  “Thanks  to  leaders  like  City  Controller  Wendy  Greuel  and  our  numerous  expert  
panelists,  we  saw  a  vibrant  exchange  of  ideas  as  we  develop  leading-­‐edge  solutions  to  the  many  
challenges  affecting  our  region.  “  
 
Held  at  California  State  University  Los  Angeles,  the  Pat  Brown  Institute’s  18th  Annual  Policy  
Issues  Conference  was  supported  by  Kaiser  Permanente,  Southern  California  Edison,  Wells  
Fargo,  AT&T,  SEIU  Local  721,  The  Walt  Disney  Company,  Sempra  Energy,  Sony  Pictures  
Entertainment,  Union  Pacific,  IBEW  Local  47,  the  Californian  Faculty  Association  and  the  John  
Randolph  Haynes  and  Dora  Haynes  Foundation.  
 
For  nearly  three  decades,  the  Edmund  G.  “Pat”  Brown  Institute  of  Public  Affairs  (PBI)  has  
focused  on  state  and  community  issues—dedicated  to  the  quest  for  social  justice  and  equality  
of  opportunity,  enlightened  civic  engagement,  and  enhancing  the  quality  of  life  for  all  
Californians.  
 
#  #  #  
 
The  Edmund  G.  “Pat”  Brown  Institute  of  Public  Affairs,  a  presidentially  chartered  institute  at  California  State  
University,  Los  Angeles,  is  a  nonpartisan  public  policy  center  dedicated  to  sustaining  the  vision  and  legacy  of  
former  California  Governor  Edmund  G.  “Pat”  Brown  through  convening  public  policy  forums,  engaging  multi-­‐sector  
stakeholders  and  diverse  communities,  and  conducting  timely  policy  research  and  community  driven  initiatives.    
For  more  information,  go  to  www.patbrowninstitute.org.