Mayor Eric Garcetti, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and about a dozen business and community leaders met in private at City Hall on Wednesday to discuss a livable minimum wage, business tax reform and raising capital for small businesses, among other things.
The former chief of staff to President Barack Obama fielded questions about the world economy and sanctions aimed at stopping Russia from taking independent Ukraine.
Lew talked about strategies for growing businesses and the statewide workforce, suggesting that big companies partner with educational institutions.
Mayor Eric Garcetti told City News Service they had a good discussion in which Lew provided an “optimistic” outlook on the economy.
The mayor recently proposed raising the hourly minimum wage in the city to $13.25, from the current $9. Lew is a proponent of raising the federal minimum wage to $10.
The meeting was attended by executives and representatives of Guggenheim Partners, Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP, ICDC Publishing, Mayer Brown, G&C Equipment Corp., Long Beach City College, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, Los Angeles Community College District, TCW Group Inc., Barrio Planners and JM Eagle Inc.
— City News Service