Ok. I won't quit.

When the news came out this week that the City of Long Beach is about to release a $100,000 study done on the breakwater and the water quality off the shore of downtown Long Beach, I became discouraged because quite honestly the City does not have the money to do what is necessary to change the breakwater.

I expressed this discouragement in my blog and then was contacted by a constituent who said: "Please don't quit on us!"

Well. He's right.

If the breakwater needs to be removed to improve wave action and water quality in order to bring an economic stimulus back to Long Beach which is supposed to be a beach front community, then we need to fight for it!

The findings indicate that something could be done to improve both the wave action and the water quality. But the reality is that unless the U.S. Congress directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (who oversee all breakwaters) to get involved and unless the Congress funds further study and the work that needs to be done, the breakwater and the miserable water quality will remain.

So, let's get going and bombard our Congressional representatives to do the right thing for Long Beach.

See the contact information by emailing them (click on their names) and join me in sending Congresswoman Laura Richardson, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator Dianne Feinstein e-mails with the following message:

Dear Long Beach Area Congressional Representative:

No doubt you have heard that Long Beach has a problem with the quality of the ocean water that comes to our beaches. A recent study indicates that the breakwater off-shore could be reconfigured to allow greater tidal action and disbursement of pollution.

This would clean up the water and increase use of the beaches which would bring an economic stimulus to Long Beach.

We urge you to direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete a full study on the feasibility of reconfiguring the Long Beach breakwater and to appropriate such funds as necessary to complete the study.

Cleaning up the ocean water and beachfront in Long Beach would provide an important boost to our local economy. We ask that you help Long Beach.

Breakwater study is a heartbreaker

Breakwater study done. (http://www.longbeach.gov/citymanager/ga/breakwater/default.asp) Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

Good news. Well the study shows that removing a portion of the breakwater could help clean up the water and improve waves slightly.

Bad news. To do anything beyond the study will cost the City of Long Beach millions and millions of dollars. Oh, then there is the issue of whether or not the Army Corps of Engineers even approves doing anything -- and since they control the breakwater they call the shots.

So let's say they say "yes" -- well, the City of Long Beach has to commit to paying 1/2 the costs of the further study which amounts to @ $3.8 million. Then there's the cost of the actual work which could hit tens of millions.

What is missing in the entire study is the fact that people have seen photographs of the shoreline in the late 1940's and 1950's and we had waves. Oh and we also had the breakwater. What we didn't have was the Port of Long Beach sticking way out in the ocean blocking tidal flow.

Nope. We're not taking the Port down. But seriously folks we don't have the money to do further studies or to pay to take a portion of the breakwater down and it isn't likely the feds are interested in taking the breakwater down (things everyone knew when this initial study was ordered) -- so do we all feel better now?

Wetlands Swap Should End

Dave Wielenga of The District Weekly called me earlier this week to ask if I knew that the owners of the "wetlands" being considered for swapping for valuable city property -- the public service yard in the First Council District -- were selling the oil and mineral rights underneath the property?

(see article: http://thedistrictweekly.com/2009/daily/writing-shotgun/exclusive-tom-dean-sellling-mineral-rights-to-los-cerritos-wetlands/?dsq=13113743#comment-13113743)

No.

Unreal. I originally brought this issue up earlier in the process of why the oil and mineral rights were not being included in any deal, especially since we know that the property will have to be cleaned up because of oil contamination. Was told the owner didn't want to sell them.

I guess that was before the Wall Street Journal just ran a story that crude oil will drop to $20 a barrel by the fall because of a glut and it must seem like the right time to bail out of the oil business.

Ok. Then that should put the city in a great position to get these rights. Afterall, we can use the monthly income which is at @$400,000 both for increased revenue and for paying to clean up the site.

Better yet. Stop this madness. We don't have any money. We just declared a fiscal crisis. The State doesn't have any money to buy the land from us.

The "wetlands" aren't going anywhere. The only value of the property is what is underneath and that's about to be sold to someone else.

Air Toxic Hot Spots

Don't know about you. But I am running into more and more people lately with seriously allergies and coughs. People are complaining about the air and with good reason.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has released its 2008 Annual Report on the AB 2588 Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Program. The Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Information and Assessment Act of 1987 requires local air pollution districts to prepare an annual report and to provide it to local health officiers.

You can view the report which provides a summary of major program activities during the calendar year 2008 and activities planned during 2009.:

http:www.aqmd.gov/prdas/AB2588/AB2588.html