This City Has Plenty Of Extra Cash

When the Escalara family added a second story to their house they received a $22,000 home-improvement rebate. Welcome to Commerce, CA.

1 minute read

May 26, 2003, 5:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"These are bleak days for most California municipalities awaiting the fallout from the state's fiscal crisis, with residents worried about cuts in everything from library hours to youth programs. But a few cities, graced with special circumstances, remain flush... In Commerce, a working-class city of 13,000 in the heart of industrial Los Angeles, its card club revenue keeps residents cashing in their civic chips. Even if there's a drastic drop in state funding, the city's number-crunchers anticipate no service cutbacks or layoffs in the city's 400-strong work force. But the perks do come with a price."

Thanks to Laura Kranz

Sunday, May 25, 2003 in The Los Angeles Times

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