Schipske Asks for Report on New Revenue for Fire Department -- Need to Restore Cuts

2 (Photo credit: stevelyon)

Schipske to Ask For Report on Newest Revenue Source for Fire Department : AB 678 --

New law provides millions for public agencies 

that operate ground emergency medical services

Long Beach, CA – May 21, 2012 – Concerned that budget cuts to the Long Beach Fire Department have resulted in slower response times, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske is asking for a report from the city manager on whether or not the City has applied for new funding that could be used to restore cuts made to the department.

“AB 678 was passed last year and provides cities that operate ground emergency medical services a process to access new federal funds and subsequently receive supplemental Medi-Cal payments,” says Schipske. “Long Beach Fire Department transports many Medi-Cal recipients and should be able to receive several million.”

Schipske notes that AB 678 was signed into law in October 2011 and that cities were advised by the League of California Cities “to act quickly in order to receive the supplemental reimbursement.” The reimbursement mechanism provided through the State Department of Health Care Services was established last October, with the first round of reimbursements to be made as early as January 2012.

“Fire response times have been reduced because equipment and firefighters were removed from several stations due to budget cuts,” adds Schipske. “I am placing an item on the council agenda to discuss this new source of revenue and to request that it be used to restore some of the cuts made, especially for paramedic services.”

AB 678 was authored by Assemblyman Richard Pan, a physician from Northern California, and sponsored by the California Professional Firefighters (CPF), who report that ambulance transports have increased 13 percent from 1997 to 2006, and ambulance transports of Medi-Cal beneficiaries have increased 19 percent from 2006 to 2009.  CPF also points out that Medicare rates were reduced 10 percent in 2010, representing a reduction of $35 million statewide and straining fire department budgets even more.  

Schipske also points out that a legislative report found that current Medi-Cal rates do not cover the operating cost of a typical ambulance transport.  These unreimbursed costs are subsequently absorbed into a fire department's general fund and paid for by the taxpayers. “The sooner the City of Long Beach applies for these funds, the sooner we can begin restoring cuts to our fire services.”

#30

Open House at 5th District Fire Stations -- A Hit

Thank you to all who came out on Saturday to kick off National EMS Week and to visit the three fire stations in the 5th Council District. It was fun and very interesting. Kids got the biggest kick out of the tour as they got to sit inside trucks and paramedic units. A big thanks to the Long Beach Firefighters Association which provided hot dogs and chips.

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Please Participate in Survey About Long Beach Enacting a NO KNOCK/NO SOLICITATION Registry

Please click here to participate in a short survey on your opinion on whether or not the City should enact a NO KNOCK/NO SOLICITATION Registry as other cities have done, that give residents the power to tell those who do door to door solicitation or who leave materials on a property that they may no longer do so.

You might want to check out the other cities who are doing this very successfully: City of Newport Beach, City of Claremont, City of Hillsborough...just to name a few. These three cities refer to the No Knock/No Solicitation Registry as "Crime Prevention" efforts.

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One More Thing They Forgot to Tell the City Council --State Controller Tells Cities To Put RDA Assets Back

State Controller John Chiang

Don't let anyone tell you that being on the City Council if a part time job. It isn't. Especially when I have to research what other cities are doing on the same issues Long Beach needs to deal with so that I can find out what the Long Beach City Council isn't being told.

Here we go again. Remember when the City Council wasn't told about the deadline for opting out as the "Successor Agency" after redevelopment was abolished by state law?

Well, it gets better. The City Council in anticipation of the end of redevelopment transferred redevelopment properties and assets to the city. Most cities in California did the same. Then when the Supreme Court clarified that yes, redevelopment was abolished and a schedule was established (that included that pesky drop dead date when the City could opt out of the obligations of being a successor agency). The City Council became the successor agency.

A successor agency was charged with wrapping up and disposing of formerly owned redevelopment properties and assets and to make sure that legally enforceable obligations were met. These legally enforceable obligations are those that redevelopment had before redevelopment was abolished.

On April 17th, the City Council was asked to approve the sale of property formerly owned by the redevelopment agency that had been transferred to the City. It was approved.

Then this week while researching what was going on in San Diego, I came across an article and a link to a letter that had been issued to all cities and counties by State Controller John Chiang ordering them to reverse all RDA asset transfers they had done before redevelopment was abolished and to transfer these assets to the successor agency. The letter was issued by the State Controller on April 20, 2012.

So here's what I (and you should) want to know:

• Did the City know that this letter was going to be sent (because rumor is that cities knew it was coming)
• And if so, why wasn't the City Council advised so before it took formerly owned redevelopment property and sold it?
• (Here's the best question of all) Why hasn't the City Council yet been given a copy of the State Controller's letter ?

Here's the State Controller's letter. Had I seen it before I was asked to approve the sale of formerly owned redevelopment property -- my vote would have been a "NO".
State Controller's Letter to Cities Reverse Transfer

Learn How to Thank a Veteran or Service Member in Long Beach

Armed Services Day and Memorial Day are just around the corner. So I have prepared a brochure that you can download which details how you can honor and thank a veteran and service member in Long Beach. Just click here for full story and brochure:

Thank Goodness Long Beach Has a Public Health Department

Long Beach Foreclosures Soar

Foreclosure, Mortgage Crisis. Deserted House. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The following is the most current number of homes listed in the City's foreclosure registry (which I cosponsored as a way to require lenders to be responsible for keeping these properties up to code after they foreclose upon them). As I write, Attorney General Kamala Harris is speaking before the State Joint Conference Committee which is considering her proposed Homeowner Bill of Rights.    Foreclosure Registry Map 5-9-12.pdf

Guess who doesn't want Long Beach supporting a "Homeowners Bill of Rights"?

Foreclosure Sign, Mortgage Crisis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On Tuesday, the City Council will be considering an agenda item I put forward with two co-sponsors, that calls upon the City Council to pass a resolution in support of California Attorney General Kamala Harris' "Homeowner Bill of Rights." (Click here to read the council agenda item.)

I have already received contact from a representative of the banking industry who is not too happy with this. Why, was I aware that the California Bankers Association and the Cal Chamber of Commerce opposed this package of legislation to protect homeowners?

Really. Is this because this package of legislation goes beyond the temporary homeowner protections outlined in the National Mortgage Settlement -- which applied only to the top 5 banks? This package of bills would be applied to all lenders who would have to stop practices such as foreclosing on homeowners as they try to negotiate a loan modification and mandate that banks designate a single person to work with troubled borrowers. The California Attorney General's bill package would ban some of the worst practices that contributed to the housing crisis and write the terms of the national agreement into state law and apply them to every lender.

The financial-industry and business trade groups have opposed the bills, arguing that while the national mortgage settlement’s terms are temporary and apply to only five banks, the bills’ changes would be permanent and universal. In fact, the proposed California Bill of Rights provides longer term protection for homeowners where the national mortgage settlement expires.
 
So come to City Council on Tuesday, May 8 at 5pm and let the City Council which side they should be on for this issue.

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Sending a Positive, Optimistic Message

I am taking our economic situation very seriously. But we need to step back and think what type of message is continually coming out of City Hall to the community -- residents, businesses and potential businesses.

The message is negative and pessimistic. A  potential deficit has been announced almost every year that I have been in office. Of course, by the time we pass the budget, it is balanced as a deficit is not allowed by state or city law. That message rarely gets out.

Residents have been told time and again that unless all city employee unions step up and agree to pension reform, serious cuts in core services -- the services delivered by these employees -- will happen.  Public safety unions have agreed to pension reform -- yet their services have been cut. The non-public safety employee union is slated to also agree to pension reform -- yet the services they provide are also being proposed to be cut. These employees were publicly chastised for not wanting to help with the deficit -- they have helped and are scheduled to help -- yet cuts continue.

The City Manager and Mayor have proposed and made serious cuts to core services -- police, fire, parks and recreation and library. Infrastructure repair is behind.

Streets particularly need fixing -- but oil prices are increasing dramatically and the cost of asphalt increases significantly (as asphalt is made from oil). Yet, the City (which sits one of the largest oil and gas fields) assesses an oil (but not gas) production tax (which would help pay for asphalt) one half the amount that Signal Hill does. (The oil production tax does not impact the cost of oil at the pump whatsoever because the cost of oil at the pump is sent at the international market.) Today, oil is selling at $104 per barrel with an annual forecast that oil will reach $121 a barrel. There are 42 gallons in each barrel. The City of Long Beach's oil tax  (which is a .41 cents per barrel tax and not based upon the market value)  essentially charges Occidental Petroleum 41 cents, leaving the oil company $103.59 a barrel. Last Saturday, the LA Times reported that Oxy Petroleum generated a net profit of $1.56 billion in the first three months of 2012. See article by clicking here.

The City Auditor has identified 5 instances of City departments not appropriately handling and/or collecting revenue to which the City is entitled and needs. These instances include: towing, animal care services, parking tickets (two reports) and parks, recreation and marine department fees. What does this say to the community? That perhaps our "deficits" are being caused by our inefficiencies?  No business would operate like this...for long.

Sadly, there are numerous other departments that need to be audited concerning their revenue collection practices. (I will write more on this because I think we need to heed the advice of the Government Finance Officers Association and to either contract out our collections activities or consolidate all these activities into one department.)

Our message needs to be changed. Now. We need to get our own house in order and make certain that the City is efficient and effective and that we are lean. The first thing Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel did upon taking office was to order a 10% reduction in senior management: reduce compensation across the board or reduce the number of positions -- whichever results in a 10% reduction in the cost of senior management. This makes sense. Instead of laying off lower paid employees who actually deliver the services to the taxpayers -- cuts needs to be made where they will not impact these services.

Every City department needs to justify its existence for continued funding. Can we consolidated departments?

And my personal pet peeve I have pursued for 6 years: when are we going to get an automated time and attendance system so that we know who is at work, how long do they work each day, who is on sick leave or vacation or workers compensation? Is every hourly employee getting their breaks and lunch -- a fact we need to prove if they ever file an FLSA claim that they didn't receive these.

We employ 5,000 and time sheets are hand written every two weeks and put into the computer by 12 employees.

Okay. So we have a lot of work to do. And I would appreciate your input.

Thank you for being engaged in this important civic effort.

Gazette Covers Solar Grand Prix

Thanks to the Grunion Gazette for this great video covering the 3rd Annual Solar Grand Prix in El Dorado Park. The students were amazing as were their cars. The volunteers worked so hard on making the day flawless. The food trucks were a hit as were the exhibits on careers and trades in solar energy provided by IBEW and the Carpenters -- who also for the 3rd year constructed the race tracks. The Lifeguards brought ice water to fill up recyclable water bottles brought by the Carpenters.

United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I asked for the estimate several months ago

 Check out this link to an earlier story in the Long Beach Business Journal in which it was reported that the City Council was told by management that the LA Sheriff's Department quoted over a $1 million to pick up our prisoners and take them to the courthouse. The article notes that I asked to see the estimate from the LA Sheriff -- which I never received and which now has been disclosed by the LA Sheriff's that it was never requested. This looks really bad.


Proposed Long Beach Police Tunnel To Deukmejian Courthouse Project Heads To City Council

Schipske Angry that Sheriffs Claim LB Never Asked for Estimate on Prisoner Transport

 Remember the story about a tunnel needed between the LB Police Department and the new courthouse? And how the City didn't get it into the original design and how when I asked why we couldn't have the LA County Sheriffs department just come and pick up the prisoners as they do for other cities I was told it was too expensive??

Ok. So when I asked to see a copy of the LA County Sheriff's estimate of what they would charge to transport City of Long Beach jail inmates across the street to the new courthouse -- I wasn't given it.
But trust us Councilwoman Schipske, said City Management -- the Sheriff says it would cost a lot -- and so it would be cheaper for us to spend $5 million and build an underground tunnel.

The worse part was the the city Council was even given a written memo outlining supposed estimates by the LA Sheriff for transporting prisoners across to the new courthouse.

So when the reporter from the LB Business Journal called me and asked if I had seen a copy of the estimate, I said "NO" and suggested she call the LA County Sheriff herself to see what they would give her.

Wow. Not only do they not have a written estimate. The spokesperson states no one from LB ever asked for one.

So where did all the figures come from that were placed into a memo from City Management to the City Council??See link below to article.

Long Beach Police Tunnel: Starting Over On Cost Estimate

Let's Really Talk About the City Budget

Tax (Photo credit: 401K)Last night in City Council I expressed my disappointment that when asked for city management to bring to council suggested "revenue ideas" -- all that was presented were taxes, and taxes, and taxes.


See Press Telegram story. Click here.

As I stated last night --there are a number of ways to balance the city's budget that do not include raising taxes. I read off a list of suggestions from the Government Finance Officers Association -- which was prepared to help all cities across the US who are facing financial uncertainty.

See Fiscal First Aid list from Government Finance Officers. 

I also read off a list of items I had found doing research on other cities:

• Offer city facilities to rent out for cellphone towers -- Chula Vista is getting $500,000
• Reduce recycling to 2 x a month -- Sacramento is saving $1 million a month
• Offer a paramedic subscription program that will save residents the cost of their insurance or Medicare copay when billed for these services -- Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Orange, Fullerton, etc. all offer this program which brings in @ $250,000 annually
• Do an audit of our health care insurance program to eliminate people who are not eligible for coverage but remain on the health care plan and eliminate dual coverage -- if employees have coverage under another health care plan then they should not receive coverage from the City of Long Beach
• Audit workers compensation injuries and determine how they can be prevented
• Implement an automated time and attendance system so the city knows who is at work every day, how long they work, and when they take sick and vacation leave -- right now all 4000 plus city employees are tracked manually using 12 full time clerks
• Charge the 41,465 non residents who use our libraries $24 for a library card. $24 is the per capita expenditure residents pay in taxes for library services.
• Consolidate the Fire and Police Administrative Headquarters. The City currently spends $104,000 a MONTH ($1.2 million a year) to house a couple of helicopters and 54 Fire Department management. Bring them downtown and rent hangar space for the helicopters. Use that $1.2 million a year (or $38 million for the current 32 year lease) to staff fire stations properly.

We will be talking more throughout the year as we get into budget talks. I will be hosting a series of "Let's Get Real" virtual townhalls to talk about fixing what ails us in Long Beach.

Schipske Launches Interactive "Let's Talk Budget" So Residents Can Discuss Budget Ideas

Image via CrunchBaseI have launched a group on Facebook: Let's Talk Long Beach Budget" to facilitate a discussion of how we can reshape the City of Long Beach's budget.

I have already posted some ideas on how to generate revenue. Click here to sign up.

National Library Workers Day April 10, 2012

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 is National Library Workers Day and it your chance to stop by and say "thank you" to the people who make our libraries work. You can also go online and nominate a City of Long Beach Library Star Worker at http://ala-apa.org/nlwd/

April is also National Library Week which celebrates the wonderful contributions libraries make to our communities.

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Schipske Calls for Electeds Who Abandon Their Office for Another to Defray Costs of Special Elections

Schipske to Introduce Agenda Item Calling For “Performance Bonds” Being Posted If Sitting Elected Wants to Run for Other Office and Causes a Special Election

– Says we need to look at every way to save taxpayers’ money

Long Beach, CA – Running for higher public office has become a way of life for many Long Beach elected officials due to term limits, with the result that the taxpayers are left paying for “special elections” to fill out the remainder of the term in office. Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske wants to put a stop to this costly practice or at least make elected officials think twice before abandoning their office for another.

“That’s why I am introducing an agenda item that would require the elected official to post a ‘performance bond’ or purchase some type of insurance that would then be used to offset the costs of a special election caused by that elected official not finishing their term in office,” explains Schipske, noting that since 2006, the City has had to conduct several costly special elections because council members left office either for personal reasons to serve in a higher office.

“Listen, I have felt the urge to run for higher office while sitting on City Council, especially due to redistricting, but I thought about how my constituents would feel having just re-elected me and then having to pay for a special election if I left. That didn’t seem right.”

Under the terms of Schipske’s agenda item, Long Beach elected officials would have to post a “performance bond” or acquire some type of insurance that would pay for the costs of a special election caused by the elected official not “performing his or her official duties”.

“This may not be a perfect solution to reducing these city expenditures, but we really have to do something that sends the message that you need to finish what you were elected to do and that the taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay the costs of a special election because you wanted to serve elsewhere.”

Schipske also feels that the Council should adopt a policy that city paid travel should not be authorized for any elected official who is an official candidate (i.e. filed their intent or set up a campaign account fo fundraising) for another office or who is serving their last year of their term in office.

“Makes no sense for taxpayers to be footing the bill for travel while an elected is campaigning for a higher office or serving their last year. If my colleagues really believe this city has financial problems they will support this item.”

Related articles

• Schipske to Remain Focused on Council Work Until 2014 -- Says State of City Needs to Be Improved (gerrieschipske.com)
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LB Residents Can Use SNAP Registry Through Efforts of Councilwomen Rae Gabelich and Gerrie Schipske

Specific Needs Disaster Voluntary
Registry Available to Long Beach Residents

Residents with certain disabilities have the opportunity to participate in a voluntary disaster registry to help facilitate the planning and implementation of disaster response by first-responder agencies.
Registering will also allow disaster managers to send alerts and other advisories or preparedness information to assist people in being better prepared for unexpected disasters which may strike the region.
The City’s participating in the program was authorized by the City Council on September 6, 2001, based on an agenda item from Councilmembers Gerrie Schipske and Rae Gabelich.

The Specific Needs Disaster Voluntary Registry, also known as SNAP (Specific Needs Awareness Planning), does not ensure faster or priority service by first responders after a disaster. Enrolling in the registry should never be considered as the only action necessary to prepare for disasters.

Long Beach residents who have any of the following conditions which might impede the ability to evacuate a building, travel to or stay safely in an emergency evacuation center, or to securely shelter in place without assistance, may want to consider enrolling in the Registry:

• Physical disabilities
• Cardiac and/or respiratory circumstances
• Developmental disabilities
• Emotional or psychiatric disabilities
• Deafness or hearing loss
• Blindness or severe vision loss
• Speech impairments
• Short-term disabilities
• Reliance on technologies that use electricity
• Using medications
• Participation in a home delivery program
• Need specialized paratransit vehicles
• Experience seizures
• Immune system deficiencies
• Communicable diseases
• Severe chemical or other allergies

The registry is a project of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management in cooperation with other cities and agencies in the Los Angeles County disaster response operational area. Information in the registry is kept in a secure database, and will only be shared with authorized emergency personnel, and then only for the purpose of effecting the delivery of aid to enrollees.
Enrolling in the registry should never be considered as the only action necessary to prepare for disasters, nor does it ensure prompt and thorough response after a disaster strikes.

Enrollees should take appropriate measures to become as self-prepared as necessary, given their particular personal situations. All residents of Southern California are advised to prepare themselves for up to 72 hours of self-sustained survival, should that become necessary.

For more information, or to register, visit http://snap.lacounty.gov

Come See How Emergency Calls Are Handled

As you know, I have asked for a public meeting to discuss response times for our Fire Department in light of the serious cuts that have been made to staff and equipment.

Just last week, there was a house fire in the 5th District and upon meeting with the Fire Chief I learned that because our Station #18 no longer has a fire engine (and only a medical rescue unit), it took over 7 minutes to get a fire engine from Station 22 (down by CSULB). In my meeting with the City Manager and the Fire Chief, I stated "I want the Fire Engine back in 18."

We have much work to do to make certain that Fire Station 18 is fully restored and that is why I want you to learn how emergency calls are handled and how response times are calculated.

Join me at the Emergency Communications and Operating Center for a meeting of Open Up Long Beach. In light of the recent discussions on Fire Department response times, we will review how dispatch data is captured and reported and how Fire Department response times are calculated. Space is limited to 30 so you must RSVP. 

 

Open Up Long Beach Meeting:

Emergency Communication in Long Beach

 

A tour and review of the Emergency Communications and Operating Center and a discussion of how fire responses are calculated. 

 

Monday, April 16, 2012

6:30pm - 7:30pm

2990 Redondo Avenue

Long Beach, CA 90806

 

RSVP HERE

 

Sincerely,

Gerrie

Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske

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I Want Answers About Response Time to Fire in My District

I am still awaiting a full response from City  management concerning response times by our Fire Department prior to budget cuts. NFPA Standards are very clear about response times. NFPA also indicates that several factors can impact response times:

• increase in number of calls for service
• decrease in number of firefighters on duty
• decrease in equipment available

The budget cuts have taken the number of firefighters down to 117 a day -- the lowest in many, many years.

The budget cuts have taken numerous types of equipment out of service:

• ·        Engine 7 was reduced from a Paramedic Assessment Unit to a BLS fire engine
• ·        Engine 101 eliminated
• ·        5th firefighter cut from Truck 1
• ·        Engine 3 has gone from a Paramedic Assessment Rig (1 FF and 1 Paramedic) to a BLS Engine (with just 2 FF's)
• ·        Rescue 12 eliminated – left with Engine
• ·        Engine 14 eliminated; Truck 14 eliminated – left with Rescue
• ·        Truck 17 and Engine 17 eliminated and turned into a light force.  Extremely inefficient system.
• ·        Engine 18 eliminated – left with Rescue

My district just had a major residential fire. Because the fire engine was removed from Station 18 which was just blocks from the fire, a Paramedic Rescue was sent. It then took 8 minutes for the firefighting equipment of station 22 and then 19 arrived. Do not know why Station 5 wasn't sent.

We need a full assessment of what it happening to our fire department because of budget cuts.

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Schipske Now Questions if Total Uncollected Parking Tickets Tops $29 million

Closeup of parking violation sticker. Used in some cities to warn those with excess tickets they will be towed. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Councilwoman Schipske Notes That Auditor’s Report on $17.6 million in Unpaid Parking Tickets Only Addresses Last 3 Years – Prior Audit Shows An Additional $11.7 million – Asks if this means City is owed $29.3 million

Long Beach, CA – March 29, 2012 – Following the release of the City Auditor Laura Doud’s audit on unpaid parking tickets, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske issued the following statement:

“Today, City Auditor Laura Doud and Mayor Bob Foster held a joint press conference to discuss the City Auditor’s findings on the mess the city has with uncollected parking tickets. It is unfortunate that City Council members were not invited to a press conference which addresses a City Council agenda item. It was also not appropriate that the City Council was not given a copy of the written findings before such findings were released to the press.

“Now that the written findings are available there appears to be a glaring question that needs to be answered because the City Auditor has actually released two audits on uncollected parking citations that include different time periods and both showing separate amounts owed to the City. As a result, the City may be actually owed $29.3 million in uncollected parking tickets and not just the current $17.6 million dollars included in the current audit.
“Here’s why: the current audit shows $17.6 million dollars in uncollected parking tickets that are 3 years old or less. That would cover the time period of 2008-2011. The City Auditor’s prior audit on uncollected parking citations completed in 2008 covered the years of 2003-2007 and indicated that $11.7 million was owed by those having 5 or more tickets. The question is then: What happened to the $11.7 million owed for the period of 2004-2007 and if the City has now acquired an additional $17.6 million in uncollected tickets then the total outstanding should be: $29.3 million dollars.

Following my blog on this topic I have been contacted by numerous companies who are willing to work with the City to straighten out this mess and to bill and to collect at a much higher percentage than we seem to be able to do in-house. In fact, a representative from one company, Vion Municipal Capital in Milford, Massachusetts contacted me today to tell me his company had offered to purchase our uncollected parking tickets which would give the city immediate revenue, but apparently was told the city ‘wasn’t interested.’

Well, the City needs to ‘get interested’ so that we do not continue cutting core services in order to balance a budget. Unless and until we examine our internal operating processes and determine that we are billing and collecting every penny of revenue the City in entitled to receive, we can no longer keep telling the taxpayers that the services they pay for with their taxes need to be cut.”

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City Auditor Finds $18 Million in Uncollected Parking Tickets -- Schipske Calls for Fixing Problem Now

Dear Readers,

Two weeks ago I met with City Auditor Laura Doud. We meet periodically to discuss how we can find revenue to balance our budget without raising taxes. Laura told me that she was getting ready to release her audit which again found that the City is not collecting owed parking citations. In fact, currently the City is owed $18 million in uncollected parking citations.

This is particularly disturbing on several levels:

• The City Auditor told the City Council in 2009 that $11 million in outstanding parking citations had not been collected. A pilot program to use parking boots was approved (as is used in many cities to get the attention of those who have 5 or more parking tickets) and the Council asked for updates both on the pilot and how improvements were to be made in the collection system. Didn't happen.
• Problems in a collections system means that there are problems in the billing system. 
• There have been serious cuts to core city services made to balance the city budget and very little effort to make certain that the City is receiving every dollar it is entitled to receive from citations, fees and contracts - even after the City Auditor has pointed out that hasn't been done. 
• Citizens should not be penalized with cuts in city services while the city fails to do its job collecting revenue that it is owed.

So here's what needs to be done about the uncollected parking tickets:

• The City needs to contract out for billing and collection services for parking citations, ambulance and paramedic services now. The City might want to consider selling some of this uncollected revenue to a factoring agency who can pay the City a percentage of the amounts owed. 

 In my discussions with the City Auditor (and during council meetings) I have called for the City Council to direct the City Manager to:

• Request Southern California Edison to perform an audit of all electrical meters on city property to verify that the meters are accurate. (When I was a Trustee at Long Beach City College I requested the same audit and it resulted in a hefty refund that was used to defray the costs of employee health care.)
• Implement an automated time and attendance system that keeps track of the City's 4500 employees and lets management know who is at work, if an employee leaves early, did the employee take lunch, when the employee leaves. That's right folks. Right now the city tracks time and attendance manually with time sheets that are filled out manually at the end of a work week.   

Related articles

• Seniors Furious After City Takes Money From Pensions To Pay Off Parking Tickets (chicago.cbslocal.com)
• Man pays parking ticket 58 years later (upi.com)
• Vehicle Blocking Food Trucks on Wilshire Racks up $800 in Parking Tickets (laist.com)