Schipske Asks Auditor to Include Look at Foreign Travel by Mayor and City Councilmembers -- Wants Politicization of Port to Stop

English: "Green Port" flag of the Port of Long Beach. I work for the communications dept. for the Port of Long Beach and the pictures I use meet the criteria of being "free content." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Cranes at the Hanjin Shipping terminal at the Port of Long Beach (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Councilwoman Asks Auditor Doud to Include in Her Audit – Travel Expenses of Non-Harbor Commissioners – Mayor and City Councilmembers

September 13, 2014 – Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske today called on City Auditor Laura Doud to include in an audit of travel expenses of the Board of Harbor Commissioners, a review of the travel expenses of non-Commissioners who traveled on port dollars.

“I think the public needs a full accounting of how the Port of Long Beach has spent funds on travel and who have been the recipients of these funds,” says Schipske.  “Harbor Commissioners have a specific duty to help expand trade relations with other countries and the shipping industry and their travel is justified. Other's travel is highly questionable.”

Schipske adds that unless wrongdoing can be proven concerning the current Board President, Thomas Fields, “it appears there is a witch hunt going on against a commissioner who dared disagree with the current Mayor about where to locate the Port headquarters. This continual politicization of the Port of Long Beach is causing serious harm in the shipping community and it needs to stop.”

#30

I goofed about 9-11

September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City: View of the World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty. (Image: US National Park Service ) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Late last night I sent out an email with a montage of photos in remembrance of 9-11. Unfortunately, I used a template and did not change the content which referred to the 10th anniversary of this horrible event. (I was tired as I am as I write this apology.)

Almost immediately I received responses from readers chastizing me for sending something out that had a mistake it in. "Oh my god, I can't believe you wrote it was only 10 years..." You get the gist.

Well, I apologize that the email didn't say it was the 12th anniversary. Whether it is 10 or 12 or 20 years, I will never forget waking up that morning and turning on the news before work only to see saw the horrendous terror that was inflicted on this country that day.

But my mistake and the immediate "gotchas"  caused me to also remember that 9-11 (yesterday) was also the "9/11 Day of Service." It was created to observe September 11 every year as a day of charitable service and doing good deeds. It was created soon after 9/11 to provide a positive way to forever remember and pay tribute to the 9/11 victims, honor those that rose in service in response to the attacks, and remind people of the importance of working more closely together in peace to improve the world.

Yesterday, millions of Americans participated by taking time out to help others in need, in their own way. Many posted notes on the website quilt (http://www.911day.org/the-quilt/) about their promise to do something good. Here's just a few:

"I will support mentorship and help youth"
" I will say thank you to the police I meet"
"I will donate food to our local pantry every month" 

and the one that I needed most:

"I will make someone else's life a little easier."

Related articles

• Remembering 9/11 Victims and Heroes (newsplex.com)