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Schipske Responds to Proposed Budget -- Says Time for City to Wage A Real
War For Jobs – Calls for Portion of One Time Funds to Be Used to Spur Private
Job Creation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development in Long Beach –
Also
Calls for relief for residents from high fees and fines
August 2, 2014 -- In response to the release of the City
Manager/Mayor budget for Fiscal Year 2014, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske
released the following statement:
“As required by state law and City Charter, the proposed
budget for FY 2014 is balanced. This year, it reflects a large surplus in
revenue caused directly by the return of property tax dollars due to the
dissolution of redevelopment and the continued high price of oil.
While $5.5 million of this revenue surplus – also called one
time funds -- are being proposed by the Mayor for Public Safety (something for
which I have strongly advocated over the past several years), there is no
provision to utilize any of the surplus to deal with the high unemployment rate
and the lack of private sector job growth in Long Beach.
Long Beach continues to experience the highest unemployment
rate in California. As recently as March 2013, the rate was 11.6% as compared
with 8.8% percent for California and 7.6% nationally. This should be unacceptable
to any elected official in this City and reversing this problem should be our
first priority.
The State Legislature just abolished the ‘enterprise zone’
tax credits that Long Beach was able to use to recruit companies to create jobs
here, so now more than ever we need a strategy that pulls together entrepreneurs,
educators and City leaders to find out how together we increase job creation.
The City must utilize a portion of this $56 million dollar
surplus to wage a war on creating and retaining private sector jobs. We need to
figure out why our unemployment rate is so high and why other cities,
particularly in the Bay Area of the state, are thriving and creating
sustainable, good paying jobs. We need to closely examine what part our city
government can play in developing a local solution.
As John Clifton writes in his article: “Cities: Where Good Jobs Are Created” -- Have your whole city wage a war for jobs. Everybody in
charge of anything needs to focus on job creation. If they divert their
attention, vote them out. Be ruthless. If the bike path doesn't have anything
to do with job creation, there is no bike path. If rezoning improves the jobs
outlook, rezone.
I would propose that $2 million dollars be designated to
establish a Small Business Services Initiative that would offer seed money for
entrepreneurs so that businesses can start, operate and expand in Long Beach. Most
importantly, a SBSI would also bring together local educational institutions,
entrepreneurs, labor unions, local government and others to address the
problems of job loss, low graduation rates, the continued ‘brain drain’ of
college graduates who leave Long Beach, and the lack of training programs for
blue collar jobs, to ensure we are all on the same page about the need to
create jobs. This initiative could also help locate affordable workspaces to
support start up businesses. (Perhaps the City could use some of the 296
properties from redevelopment for workspaces.)
The City also needs to pursue locating a ‘Green Tech Zone’
in Long Beach which can serve as an incubator for innovation and would create
jobs in these growing industries. I authored legislation last year directing the City Manager to explore this possibility
to duplicate what the City of Los Angeles has done. I asked that a committee of the Long Beach
Chamber of Commerce work with the City to explore this option for Long Beach. The
aim would be to attract clean industries through incentives, including help
obtaining permits and tax and utility rebates.
Long Beach needs to make its top priorities – real job
creation and economic growth.
We also have to lessen the burden on the working families of
our city who struggle to keep their jobs and pay their taxes. Recently, the
City Council passed legislation so that real estate agents no longer have to pay
a separate business license if they work under a broker. The City Council needs
to review all of the fees and fines we require residents to pay: From the costs
of a home business license to the parking ticket for not moving your car in
time for the street sweepers. We need to provide some relief.”
Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske has represented the 5th
Council District since 2006. She will hold a District 5 Budget Meeting on
August 14th at 6 pm at the Water Treatment Plant, 2950 Redondo (at
Spring).
