DeLong Really Needs a Hug

 Several people in the community have sent me another funny email authored by Gary DeLong, titled “What was Gerrie Schipske Thinking?”

You ask, who is Gary DeLong and just what is his fixation with me?  

Well, Gary is that tall, dapper councilmember you see walking out of the council meeting many Tuesdays cause he just can’t bear to sit and listen to the people who come to talk to council. Sometimes he just leaves council meetings all together. Take the night we were deadlocked on the vote to ban plastic bags and to assess a fee on shoppers who want to use paper bags. Gary left thinking it was in the bag but was summoned back because the vote was about to go the “wrong way” for its supporters. Whew. It was nip and tuck there for a minute. Suddenly, Gary came back in time to be a deciding vote to pass the ban on plastic bags and assess a fee. What a sense of humor that Gary has. Long Beach is experiencing the worse economic downturn in years and there he was laughing about how he made it back in time from wherever he had been to vote for one of the most anti-business measures Long Beach has enacted.

Yes, Gary did send out an email with me as the focus because I called him out for one of his ego tantrums during City Council while I was trying to introduce guess speakers. How thoughtless of me to again point out Gary’s arrogance and rudeness,  especially since it is so obvious how hard he has worked these past five years to perfect his “I’m the man” routine. 

I have to admit that Gary isn’t just fixated on me. I often have to share his attention with Councilwoman Rae Gabelich.  Some of our council meetings are a riot with Gary practicing his latest insult or jab at Rae or me. He does it so cooly. Acting like he’s not listening at council while he is busy on his IPAD. Then wack! Rae or I will be asking questions about an agenda item and Gary presses the button on his microphone and delivers his personal attacks and then goes back to his IPAD or frantically tries to “call for the question” so he doesn’t have to hear us talk. Luck for Gary he doesn’t leave his microphone on because otherwise the public would hear the nasty side of Gary that I am sure he battles daily to hide.

It’s not that Rae and I haven’t tried to be friendly with Gary. Why just the other day we were having dinner in the Council lounge together and Rae asked him why in the world would he want to leave his council duties before he finishes his term, to run for the US Congress. Why would someone who disdains government so much risk his reputation and run for the most disdained level of government – Congress?

Gary, in his usual matter of fact style responded “because of economics. I have daughters that need to get through college and I need to make more money.” It was one of those rare moments when you want to reach out and give a hug and say “that’s okay big guy. It’s not your fault and you’re not alone. If your ‘successful’ small business isn’t making as much as a Congressman’s salary of $174,000, then go for it!”

So if you get a copy of Gary’s latest email, be kind and be gentle on how you respond to him. Forget that Gary uses the email to attack me again. The most important message in that email is his cry for attention and approval about his announcement that he is going to visit ‘100 businesses in 100 days.’ Give the big guy kudos. It only took him five years on the City Council to get the nerve to go out there and show some concern for local business. Besides it’s a wonderful campaign gimmick he can use to hit up business for campaign contributions -- just as he just did with the medical marijuana collections. He cleaned up with $6100 for that 'visit'. Got to admit he is a clever little devil.

Schipske Arranges with Rosie the Riveter Charter High School to Repaint House Numbers on Curbs

Schipske Arranges with Rosie the Riveter Charter High School To Repaint House Numbers on Curbs -- Says Project is a 'Good Public Safety and Jobs Skills Effort'

  

February 10, 2012 - When public safety personnel are responding to a call for service, every minute counts in finding the residence. But with house numbers missing or faded on city curbs and city funds to repaint the numbers not available, what's a city councilwoman to do to make sure these house numbers are repainted?

Well, if you are Fifth district Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, you contact a local charter high school and ask if the students would take on repainting of house numbers on curbs.

"The issue about missing and fading house numbers on curbs is a matter of public safety," says Schipske. "If fire and police have difficulty locating a residence because there are no house numbers on the curb or the numbers are so faded they are difficult to read, then we need to address that issue. The City does not have funds to repaint these house numbers on our curbs so I reached out to the

Rosie the Riveter Charter School and asked if their students would take this on as a project. They said 'yes' and we are set to go starting Monday, February 13."

Rosie the Riveter Charter high school is an effort of WINTER - Women In Non Traditional Employment Roles - a nonprofit organization started by a group of tradeswomen that wanted to extend opportunities to economically disadvantaged women. The school sits on part of the AES plant site on Studebaker.

Mary Mercado, Director of Youth Programs, has organized 20 students who will begin painting house numbers on curbs on Monday, February 13, 2012 between 9am and 3pm. The group will start the work in the El Dorado Park South Neighborhood and spend Mondays moving throughout the 5th Council District.

"Our students are excited about working in the community," says Mercado. "They take what they do very seriously because they know they are preparing themselves for the work world after their schooling. Projects such as this reinforce that preparation."

Schipske explains that the City Municipal Code regarding painting house numbers on curbs is very specific about the size of the numbers and the paint that can be used. Additionally, only non-profit organizations approved by the Police Department can do this work. "Rosie the Riveter Charter high school is currently the only organization permitted to paint house numbers on curbs. The Long Beach Department of Public Works supplied the paint and the stencils."

Students from the high school will distribute notices in the El Dorado Park South neighborhood on Saturday, February 11, alerting residents that house numbers will be painted on their curbs.  The service is free, however, residents are encouraged to make a tax-deductible contribution to the non-profit high school.

"This is a great opportunity for the community to acknowledge the work of these students and their high school while at the same time help in 'Shaping Up the 5th District,'" Schipske reminds.

Councilwoman Schipske launched other summer youth job programs in 2009 and 2010, addressing alleys and park maintenance in the 5th Council District.

Opened in September 2007, Rosie the Riveter Charter High School champions the spirit of progressive education; by providing a rigorous, standards-based secondary education and the opportunity to experience the world around us. www.winterwomen.org

Invited to Discussion with Obama Official

Anne Ferro talks with student ASB treasurer at Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Charter High School.

I was invited today to participate in a discussion with an official from the Obama Administration about implementing the President's goals as outlined in his State of the Union. Anne Ferro, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration came to the Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Charter High School to discuss the importance of encouraging students to enter into vocational training.


Students from the Rosie the Riveter Charter High School participated in the discussion, stressing how important their experiences have been at the charter school. Several women in the WINTER program spoke about how more programs for women need to be offered so that women have the opportunity to earn decent wages in the trades.


Ms. Ferro and I talked about the new program I am launching with the students of Rosie the Riveter Charter High School -- repainting the house numbers on the curbs of our neighborhoods. The program helps the students and also improves the visibility of house numbers for our public safety responders.

Anne Ferro spoke eloquently about the commitment of the President to get people back to work rebuilding the infrastructure of our country. I was glad I was able to give her a copy of my "Rosie the Riveter in Long Beach" book and encouraged her to take a trip to the Rosie the Riveter Park and Interpretive Center in east Long Beach.

The White House, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
and Women In Non Traditional Employment Roles

Invite you to a
State of the Union 
Roundtable discussion with

Anne S. Ferro
Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

• February 9, 2012 • 11:45 AM
• Rosie the Riveter Charter High School
690 N Studebaker Road
Long Beach, CA. 90803

Not Being Very Business Friendly

Last night in City Council, Councilman Gary DeLong displayed (again) the type of arrogance and ignorance that has sent the message to the business community that they need not to come to Long Beach.

A scheduled agenda item was brought forth to provide the Council a briefing from several marketing professionals on how robust the demographics are in Long Beach for attracting top retailers and how the City could leverage this advantage and seek corporate sponsors which would raise revenues.

Instead of welcoming (and thanking) these professionals and engaging with them about the information being presented, DeLong who has a very small business, interrupted and inquired why we were even taking this issue up.

It is not coincidence that the agenda item was one I brought forth. DeLong is contemptuous  of two of the three women on the Council and doesn't even try to hide it anymore. I responded that he could go to the council lounge (as he often does) if he didn't want to sit and listen to professionals who had taken time to provide important information for the City.

The presentation was excellent and helpful. Sadly, because of DeLong's rudeness, the presenters cut their talk short. How embarrassing for Long Beach.

Click here to read their presentation. The news is good.

Elderly Couple Attacked in Long Beach Home Invasion

Tell me why again, the City Council Public Safety Committee would not recommend funding a police academy so we can train new police? We are down more than 200 officers in Long Beach. But hey. The Council funded a new website.



Elderly Couple Attacked in Long Beach Home Invasion

Schipske's Statement Concerning Prop 8 Ruling

Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, Fifth Council District

Contact: 562 570-6932

Statement on 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals Ruling Regarding Unconstitutionality of Prop 8

2/7/12 – Long Beach, CA -- Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, Long Beach’s first open lesbian elected to serve on the Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees and the Long Beach City Council, today issued the following statement in response to the announcement that the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional:

“The federal court of appeals clearly explained in its ruling that the people may not use the initiative process to strip any group of a right as important as the right to marry and that Proposition 8 served no purpose other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians by reclassifying our relationships and our families as being inferior to those of opposite sex couples.

As someone who has been in a committed, loving relationship with a same sex partner for over 31 years, this ruling iterates something those of us in the gay and lesbian community already knew – that taking the constitutional rights of one group takes from all of us as Americans.

This decision is a triumph for all Americans by affirming the importance of freedom and human dignity as our constitutional rights. “

Come Hear Lisa See on Saturday, February 11 -- Friends of the Long Beach Public Library

Press Telegram Runs Story on Open Up Long Beach

Click here to read the story about my launch of OpenUpLongBeach.

Find Your Crime Reporting District in 5th Council District in Long Beach

Take a look at the map of east side Long Beach -- Crime Reporting Districts -- and find your reporting district number. Then click on to Long Beach Police Department Crime Stats and find the crime reports for each month. In those reports you will find the Reporting Districts so that you can track crimes in your neighborhood. Not a pleasant thing to do but it gives you the information on what is happening in your neighborhood.

You can also click on to www.crimereports.com and see a map of the crimes reported by the Long Beach Police Department throughout Long Beach and by specific address.

Get involved. Get knowledgeable.

Tell the Council to Fund a Police and Fire Academy NOW

The public relations mill is working overtime touting how the Council Public Safety Committee (on which I serve as Vice Chair) recommended to City Council to develop a multi year police academy (no mention of a Fire Academy-- I am sure that will come later).

This is another example of the "Emperor has no clothes****" syndrome that has developed in Long Beach. "Oh my, how beautiful and wonderful" people are encouraged to say whenever one more report is asked of City Manager. And usually, I go along with the effort. But not this time.

Why? Because the two council members who recommended that we ask City Management for yet another report on funding a police academy (we have received 4 reports over the past 4 years) voted against funding a police academy last budget cycle even when the City had $18 million in excess oil revenue -- instead they voted for a new website for the City. Also the money is to be spent on cameras and software that spots where a shot is fired...but guess what? The Police Department hasn't been able to use the money and that money doesn't replace the 39 police officers who retired last and this year.

When I brought up the fact that the council rejected funding a police academy, my two colleagues responded -- "We wanted to make sure we had the money to keep the new officers once they were hired."

Well, folks, we had the money and we have the money so what is the problem now?

During the committee meeting, I asked (again) the Police Department how much it would cost to fund a police academy to replace the officers who are gone. The answer: $2.1 million. And because the 17 recruits are replacing 39 highly paid, highly experienced officers who retired (and the recruits will be coming in at a lower pension formula) the City will be able to keep them employed -- especially when council was just told we have an additional $5 million surplus from last year.

$23 million total more in revenues than projected and we ask for another report instead of getting the police academy scheduled and 17 police officers hired.

I pointed out that in the east side of Long Beach we are experiencing a 14 - 25% increase in residential burglaries (depending on which Police memo you look at) and this week an armed gunman broke into a house in Belmont Park and fired two shots at the homeowner. Meanwhile, almost every day the council receives alerts from the Police about yet another shooting or murder in other parts of the city. The lecture I received was to tell residents they need to lock their windows and doors.

Readers: Contact the City Council and the Mayor who promised 100 more police on the streets (and now we are down by over 200) and tell them to fund the police academy now. Because no matter how you look at it when it comes to public safety in Long Beach we have to stop pretending everything is okay.

*****Most frequently, the story is a metaphor that involves a situation wherein the overwhelming (usually unempowered) majority of observers willingly share in a collective ignorance of an obvious fact, despite individually recognizing the absurdity.

Sidewalks and Lawsuits

Click here to read the latest story on how the City of LA is being sued because of sidewalks needing repairs.

Last night at the State of the 5th, we discussed our sidewalks and the fact that we the most in the 5th District and the most needing repairs. Since 2006 I have brought a number of efficiencies to sidewalk repair which has resulted in a 30% savings for the city and 30% more sidewalks being fixed. But the inventory is overwhelming.

We are working on posting a complete list of what has been repaired since I took office and what is scheduled to be repaired this year as well as the total amount of funds that have been spent on sidewalks.

I have brought in sidewalk saw cutting which reduces the costs to repair a sidewalk greatly. We also have a sidewalk rebate program which allows you to get your sidewalk repaired right away from a local contractor and the city will pay up to $500 as a rebate. This is especially helpful when you are doing other repairs on your home and want to include sidewalk repair off schedule from when the city can do it.

A reminder: sidewalks are not repaired individually by the city. We group them together by neighborhood so that the contractor can efficiently complete an entire area instead of individual sidewalks and driveway aprons.

State of the 5th Brings Citizen Suggestions

A filled community center tonight as residents came to listen to a recap of what happened in 2011 in the 5th Council District and in the remainder of the City.

My thanks to City Manager Pat West who provided a good overview of the City's top accomplishments for 2011.

I provided an extensive listing of what I accomplished last year and what is planned for the next.

Following the reviews, I asked residents to take some time to talk with each other and then to report out what they would like to see the City Council deal with. Most of those in attendance stayed through this part of the evening and had some very interesting suggestions:

• No electronic billboards in the city
• Ban Rvs and unattached trailers throughout the city
• Add more Park Rangers
• Develop corporate sponsorships to raise money for city projects
• Bring gambling to the city
• Automate the city's timekeeping system
• Fund a Police Academy

We are compiling their responses and I will post them later this week.

Grunion Gazette Features "Open Up Long Beach"

Check out Grunion Gazette's latest article on my efforts to open up Long Beach city government to make it more transparent and accountable.

Don't forget our February 6th launch of OPENUPLONGBEACH. Please attend and help this important effort.

Schipske to Remain Focused on Council Work Until 2014 -- Says State of City Needs to Be Improved

January 24, 2012 – Long Beach City Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske today issued the following statement concerning her plans for the next two years:

“I want to thank those who have encouraged me to run for higher office. Your support and confidence are gratifying. However, many people also have come forward and urged me to continue my work on the City Council – being a voice of reason and asking the questions that need to be answered and bringing the community together through events, forums and discussions. 

The City of Long Beach faces  incredible challenges due in no small part to actions taken in Sacramento:  the release of criminals back into our community and the State Legislature’s elimination of redevelopment – which impacts more than 40% of Long Beach.  

In the first three weeks of the new year, Long Beach has experienced a dozen or more shootings – several of which were murders. Residential burglaries are up in my district. Our Police force is spread thin because of budget cuts – which I voted against. Our Fire department is using staff from the Westside of the city to cover the eastside – which I voted against. City employees in every department are stretched thin and services reduced – again which I voted against. Instead of using increases in oil revenues to restore cuts to public safety and quality of life services – as I proposed – these monies will be spent on one time special ‘projects.’ 

Additionally, public trust of government is at an all time low and needs to be restored by making all levels open, transparent and accountable. To make the City of Long Beach more transparent, accountable and collaborative – I have just announced the launch of OpenUpLongBeach.com – a project to involve residents in making certain this happens.

For these reasons, I have decided to continue to focus my attention on serving the City of Long Beach for the remainder of my second term on City Council. I urge residents to join me in the efforts to get more police and firefighters and to open up the City of Long Beach in order to make our local government accountable to and collaborative with its residents. Help me send the message that the ‘State of the City’ needs to be improved.”

League of California Cities Analysis on Pack Supreme Court Ruling

Click here to read an analysis of the Supreme Court decision concerning the City of Long Beach's ordinance which regulates medical marijuana collectives and why the council has been advised we need to revoke the ordinance and ban the collectives -- especially any with more than 4 members.

Teaching the Basics of Solar Energy to Our Local Students

 It is important that we teach our students the basics of solar energy so that we can stop being dependent upon fossil fuels. Part of our effort in the Solar Grand Prix is to make students aware of this important alternative energy source.

Click below and see a short video on basics of solar energy.


Solar Multimedia: Solar Power Basics

Preview of Solar Grand Prix Orientation This Weekend

Open Up Long Beach -- Why We Need to Do It

I have launched  OpenUpLongBeach.com -- a website and resident project to identify what we need to do to open up the City of Long Beach -- its records, its data, it processes and who impacts the decisions.

For instance:

• Residents trying to obtain emails of elected officials find themselves blocked because many elected officials now use private, personal emails to conduct city official business and claim it is not discoverable as a public record. If official business is being conducted on personal emails a copy of that email should be sent into the city email system to capture a record. (I do this on any email sent to me on my non city email.)
• Although elected officials must post campaign contributions they receive for city offices on the city website, they do not post on city websites the money they receive for their state or federal campaigns -- money received from those who have are doing business with the city or who have a financial interest in the outcome of the city's decisions. The public has to expend a great deal of time searching other websites to see who has donated to our city officials.
• The current collective bargaining process tells the residents little of what is being bargained -- unlike school districts which by law have to disclose publicly in a meeting before bargaining begins so that the public gets a chance to comment on the proposals. The residents of Long Beach are given little information on the proposals until they are basically a "done deal."
• Business that wants to decide whether or not to come to Long Beach or to expand in Long Beach find little data readily available on the website. Opening the data and making it readily available in other cities has grown businesses. Entrepreneurs have developed applications that help local government use the data better.
• What does the city spend tax dollars on? The data is lumped together in the annual budget report -- but why isn't there data given every month on line? It is the taxpayers' money and several cities and states have found it helpful to post the payments and expenditures on a regular basis so that taxpayers can see where their money is going.
• Who does the city contract with for services? There is a tab on the city website where you can search. But you need to know the contract number or the day the city council approved it. How about just listing all the contracts so the average citizen can get information that is a public record?

There are many, many more examples of how we can open up Long Beach so that we can hold all elected officials accountable.

Please check out the website: OpenUpLongBeach.com and come to our first informational meeting. The public is invited.

California Supreme Court Will Hear LB Case on Medical Marijuana

Supreme Ct Medical Marijuana

2012 Solar Grand Prix Team Orientation

Long Beach, CA – The 2012 Solar Grand Prix will not happen until April 21^st, but many teams are already registered and excited to compete. Last year, the event picked up steam and saw 150 teams and over 400 students race their carefully designed and constructed cars in El Dorado Park. The Solar Grand Prix challenges local students to use scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation, and teamwork to design and build high-performance model solar vehicles.

This year, to enhance the overall experience for all participating teams, registration was limited to 50 middle school and 50 high school teams, with a maximum of 5 teams per school. Teams must also be comprised of exactly 4 students, with a parent or teacher serving as a coach.

Councilwoman Schipske and the 5^th District Solar and Sustainability Task Force are still encouraging students in grades 9- 12 to sign up. Registration materials may be accessed by going online to http://admin.longbeach.gov/district5/solargrandprix/.

Long Beach City College is co-sponsoring the mandatory team orientation, which will take place on Saturday, January 21^st at the school’s Liberal Arts Campus. Car kits from the Segue to Solar Online Store are supplied to the teams and paid for by event sponsors.