Chiang looking at CRAs

With community redevelopment agencies around the state targeted for potential shutdown, state Controller John Chiang announced Monday he will review CRA operations in Los Angeles and 17 other locales. Daily News.

Gov. Jerry Brown has called for shuttering CRAs, which would put properties in the project areas back on the local tax rolls so they could generate revenue for schools and help relieve the budget crisis.

"The heated debate over whether redevelopment agencies are the engines of local economic and job growth or are simply scams providing windfalls to political cronies ... has largely been based on anecdotal evidence," Chiang said.