Labor Exchange Pleads ‘Dire Financial Straits’

• Extra Funding Needed to Replace Executive Director

BY BILL KOENEKER

When the Malibu City Council last week was considering turning over nearly $12,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding to the Malibu Community Day Labor Exchange, they were told the program needed money in the form of immediate emergency funding now in order to stay afloat. The CDBG funds are not available until the start of the next fiscal year.
At a special meeting two days later, the council agreed to dig into its coffers and pay out the requested additional $10,000, but agreed it would reduce its general fund grant program by that amount.
The council also learned the DLE’s current executive director Mona Loo is resigning the post.
“We are in financial straits. Part of it is my fault. I am resigning and we need to find someone to share the responsibility,” she said.
Loo said the Labor Exchange is a small operation. She said there is only one paid employee. All others, including Loo, are volunteers. The program needed the emergency funding to get through the beginning of this new year, according to Loo, who said there is a fundraiser planned in March, but money is needed to help organize the fundraiser.
“I will continue to work as a volunteer, but not as executive director. I will be living in Malibu part-time,” Loo explained.
Mayor Sharon Barovsky acknowledged that the exchange has failed to address the day worker issues in a citywide fashion, and its only apparent success is in the Civic Center area.
“I’ve seen the situation at Point Dume and I’ve seen the situation at Trancas. I don’t want to see the [same] situation in mid-Malibu,” said the mayor, who was referring to the daily congregation of day laborers at locations in the west end of the city.
When the agenda item came up at the special meeting, council members did not address the mayor’s concerns about the limited success or apparent failure of the program at the west end.