LA's New Job Czar; Pasadena Green Energy Leader's China Contract

Los Angeles may be America's biggest manufacturing center, but it's also notorious as a hard place to do business. Mayor Villaraigosa has begun what he calls "a total refocusing of economic development and job creation" in the City of LA. The first step is appointment of Austin Beutner to the newly created position of First Deputy Mayor and Chief Executive for Economic and Business Policy.  In an unprecedented grant of authority, he'll oversee no less than 13 city departments, including the Department of Water and Power, the Port of Los Angeles and development at the Los Angeles World Airports.

Meantime, a Pasadena company has just announced "the biggest solar-thermal deal ever," a $5 billion deal to build a massive project using California-based technology.  But the project will be constructed in China.