We don't need no stinkin meetings...we can phone it in.

Hot off the press: Councilman Gary DeLong is off on vacation and will not be at Council this coming Tuesday as the Mayor and several councilmembers are sworn in to office. Mr. DeLong arranged to get sworn in before he flew out of the country.

And to prove just how wonderful technology is and to assure that his choice for Vice Mayor of the City Council (Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal) wins -- Councilman DeLong has graciously arranged to call in his vote from the Bahamas.

All perfectly legal.

Just a note to any of you who would like to exercise your rights to have government meetings open -- you might want to fly down to the Bahamas and find Mr. DeLong. Join him for drinks as he phones his friends back at City Hall.

So now we understand why he only wants to hold council meetings twice a month. Why meet when you can phone it in? All Long Beach residents who have jobs that allow them to do the same raise your hands!

Schipske Launching Summer Youth Program to Clean Up Alleys

For the second summer, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske has brought on board to the 5th District team a group of 8 youth who will help clean up the 44 alleys in the 5th Council District.

The youth have been made available through the Pacific Gateway Workforce Development with funding from the federal government.

The youth work 5 hours a day and are supervised by Councilwoman Schipske's neighborhood liaison. The youth will be weeding, picking up trash and coordinating with Public Works for the pick up of items dumped into the alleys. Public Works will also fill potholes in the alleys.

Schipske is the only councilmember to utilize the summer youth program. Last year, youths cleaned up, landscaped and painted facilities in 4 parks in the 5th Council District.

Cong. Barney Frank to be Featured Speaker at Democratic Party of Orange County Truman Awards Dinner

Congressman Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and author of the just passed financial consumer protection law, will be the Special Keynote Speaker at the Democratic Party of Orange County's 16th Annual Harry S. Truman Awards Dinner.

A reception and dinner will be held at the UFCW Local 324 Banquet Hall on Saturday, August 28. Tickets are available on line at www.ocdemocrats.org.

First it was cutting back on the number of council meetings...now it is changing how the Council selects a Vice Mayor

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.