It is a pleasure to be here in Los Angeles, the city of the stars. But L.A. is much more than that. And I'd like to take some time today to talk about the importance of our cities and those neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods are a city's vitality.
Not that long ago, economic decline was draining the vitality of Los Angeles and other large cities. Neighborhoods were devastated by crime. Jobs were fleeing and welfare rolls were growing. The story is very different today. California's state economy is strong.