Hot off the City Council Agenda -- the item proposing reducing the number of council meetings to two a month has been withdrawn.... now the next story circulating around the 14th Floor of City Hall where the air is rarified...is that a move is a foot to round up votes to select a Vice Mayor based not on seniority but on who endorsed whom in the past City Council election.
Doing this throws out a long held tradition of selecting the person with most seniority as evidenced in the following document prepared by the City Clerk.
Vice Mayor Appointment History 07132010
This move sends a disturbing message that politics trumps what is best for the City. A city that is reeling from financial problems and the highest unemployment in the state. It also again puts Long Beach out of step with other city councils that rotate the Vice Mayor position based upon seniority.
The two members of the City Council that are in line to become Vice Mayor are 8th District Councilmember Rae Gabelich and 4th District Councilmember Patrick O'Donnell --both of whom have served 6 years on the City Council. Both of them should be considered for the Vice Mayor role for the next two years.
I believe in the Golden Rule even in politics -- Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you. There are some who want to rewrite the Golden Rule to read: Them that has the gold makes the rules.
