Are you ready for the big earthquake here in Long Beach?

It happened in Japan and it is going to happen here in Long Beach. It is just a matter of time.

So please check out these links on information you need to get ready. Click here.

Also, please read the message from the Long Beach Fire Department on earthquake preparedness that I have posted to the left on this blog.

Pushing for Feds to Remove Cap on Local Hires

Last night , the Council supported an agenda item which I sponsored and which was co-sponsored by Councilman Patrick O'Donnell that will ask the federal government to waive a cap on how many local hires we can require on the construction of the Gerald Desmond bridge. Because federal funds are being used from the federal highway administration, the project is capped to requiring only 30% of the jobs go to local hires.

Long Beach has 14% unemployment -- one of the highest rates in the state. So it makes no sense that any projects that will hire workers would be capped at on 30% of those jobs going to Long Beach residents.

So Long Beach needs to asks the federal government to waive the cap and allow more than 30% of the jobs to go to Long Beach residents!

The agenda item now goes to the City Attorney who will work with the City Manager to craft language making this request of the federal government.

Councilman DeLong Needs to Get His Facts Straight -- and Truthful

So Councilman DeLong thinks that my objections to selling city assets and services to private entities is because I received so much money from the unions.

Don't know if he or his handlers wrote the response to my blog but whomever writes his responses needs to be truthful first. I have not received one penny from the unions that provide the services he is trying to sell -- street sweeping, towing, etc.  Both Mr. DeLong and I received $350 from the LB Police Officers Association. I received an in kind contribution of printing of campaign signs from the LB Firefighters Association. That's the sum of what the city unions contributed.

But I did not receive one penny from the unions whose services I believe should not be contracted out.

Now in comparison, I took no money from Tom Dean either. Mr. DeLong did. So are we to infer that is why he pushed the Dean land swap so vigorously? Since councilpersons are limited to receiving $350 from one source (union or non-union) it would seem silly to infer that any council person could be bought for $350. Don't you think so?

I also sent back a check a towing company sent me during the campaign because I had heard that after the election Mr. DeLong would be trying to get the city to contract out towing services and I felt the money was a conflict of interest.

So back to the facts about contracting out city services. Towing and street sweeping provide an incredible amount of revenue for the city. Revenue that pays for the salaries and benefits of the people who provide the services and then some. The "then some" provides for funding for other things in the city.

So why would we want to share revenue with an outside business? Does that make sense for the taxpayers? No.


So let's have a discussion on the merits and shortfalls of contracting out and what is best for the taxpayers and not the politicians.

Long Beach Assets and Services Are Not for Sale

Ah, can you smell the 2012 campaign season in the air?

I can. Straight out the playbook from the "bootcamps" and "workshops" and other rhetoric camps is coming the pushing to totally privatize city services. Step right up folks and you too can bid on providing services for the City of Long Beach such as towing, trash collection and street sweeping.

Now you won't finder bidders for the more mundane less lucrative services such as libraries and parks. Nah. There isn't a lot of money connected with them.

But as we near campaign season for the free for all that is going to happen with re-districting, watch the bouncing ball as it goes crazy following the numerous suggestions to contract out Long Beach city services to the lowest bidder.

Towing, street sweeping and trash collection bring the City of Long Beach the highest sources of revenue outside our oil production. So it is only logical that the city would want to keep these services in-house, right? No, now we are starting to hear that certain council persons wishing to posture for their political followers want to sell these city services to the lowest bidder.

Oh, great. Our city employees who perform great service and who bring a tremendous source of revenue to the city now are to be replaced by private contractors that undoubtedly will: a) contribute to political campaigns and b) take from the city the very profit we realize in these services.

Luckily the voters of Long Beach were wise enough to vote for a proposition L which requires that the City Manager make a finding that the services  being selected for outsourcing cannot be done cheaper by city employees. And every Prop L study has shown that they are.

So what is behind the move to privatize city towing services and street sweeping? It makes great campaign brochures but lousy public policy. If a certain councilperson keeps this up, some of us will ask the City Manager to do a Prop L finding as to whether or not his job could be contracted out to the private sector.

Schipske Proposes Cameras on Street Sweepers

Ever get a ticket on sweeping day when your car wasn't in the way of the street sweeper? Well, Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske may have a solution thanks to new state legislation.

"The State legislature recently passed a bill (AB 2567) to allow the placement of cameras on the street sweepers so that cities can verify that a vehicle was actually parked on the street at the time the street sweeper was there -- not before and not after. This provides a date and time stamp which may result in less street sweeping tickets being issued," notes Schipske who says that she receives complaints from constituents claiming they were ticketed before the street sweeper arrived.

The cameras include a license plate reader and the operator clicks a picture the ticket is automatically mailed to the vehicle owners. Because the street sweeper is already equipped with GPS locators, the time and location are included with the picture.

Schipske also points out that currently the tickets are issued by city staff which follow the street sweepers in a car.

"The use of cameras would eliminate using staff to follow the street sweeper, freeing parking enforcement to concentrate on other parking problems in the city. "

Schipske has been in discussions with the Public Works Department about using this technology. Her proposal will be on the Council agenda.

Response from City Manager on 72 properties claimed as suitable for MHA

Below is the memo just released by the City Manager in response to Neighborhoods First stating that an alternate site for the MHA project was available on Santa Fe Avenue in West Long Beach. As you will note below the site is not available for such use. Also attached is the City Manager's response to 70 other properties which were claimed to be sites for MHA. None of them were. Finally, MHA has retained the services of a reputable commercial real estate broker to try and find an alternate site. To date, no sites have become available.



MHA- Alt Site Memo

Getting the public involved in how the city spends money

I discussed at length during yesterday's City Council's study session on the growing deficit that we need to engage the public in the solutions to this problem. Despite the feeling by some that the council and mayor "know best" about what to do -- it ain't so. We need the public as a partner in deciding on what services, staff, etc., which be cut and which will be retained.

In a partnership, both sides need information to make decisions. So I am proposed that the city utilize software that illustrates our budget and then allows citizens to decide what should be cut and what should be retained by giving the full information on the impact of the decisions.

Last year, frustrated with the lack of public engagement and disclosure of information, I contacted
 the California Budget Challenge which has developed software that cities can use to fully engage their residents. Below is my email and the response I received from the non-profit. I am sharing this with the City Manager and my council colleagues and hope we get this up and running as soon as possible. I am also looking into software: uservoice.com and peakdemocracy.com that will allow on line comments from citizens (just as if they attended a council meeting) on the budget and any other issue the city considers.

Hi Gerrie,
Next 10 is a 501C3 nonprofit organization. We created the online California Budget Challenge in 2005 and shortly after creating the tool we had requests from different groups to license it, so we developed a deployable version of our California Budget Challenge that municipalities can license for their own use. The one-time license fee is $15k. The software has been used to create the following versions of the Challenge:

Los Angeles: http://labudgetchallenge.lacity.org/budgetchallenge/sim/budget_master.html

Oakland: http://www.oaklandbudgetchallenge.com/

Philadelphia: http://economyleague.org/budget_challenge/sim/budget_master.html

Federal: http://www.federalbudgetchallenge.org/budget_challenge/sim/budget_master.html

California: http://www.nextten.org/budgettool/site/thesim/flashcheck.html



We have received quite a bit of press over the years highlighting the California Budget Challenge. Here are a few of the more recent clippings:

TV: http://www.kcra.com/video/22948316/index.html

TV: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/business&id=6799808

PRINT: http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_14846764?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com&nclick_check=1

RADIO: http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/24920/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/24920/613/richmedia/LL_Budget_Challenge_on_Next_10.mp3?CCOMRRMID=27089839&CPROG=RICHMEDIA&a



Here is the San Francisco Chronicle article that was published when we first launched the online tool:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/04/25/BAGOBCEEMJ1.DTL&type=printable



Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is any additional information I can send you about the Challenge. We are really happy with how this has been used across California and it would be great to work with you to create the Long Beach Budget Challenge!



Many thanks,

Sarah

Job Training Available

Job Training

1937 Betty Boop Cartoon -- the Candid Candidate (see part about redevelopment)

This is a hysterical cartoon and so timely as California grapples with redevelopment.

The passing of a stateman: Congressman Steven Horn

Long Beach has lost a statesman, a gentleman and a scholar with the passing of Congressman Steven Horn. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and family.

Even though we were political opponents, I do appreciate his service to his Congressional district and to our nation.

On a personal note, I want to again acknowledge his professionalism and courtesy during the campaign we ran against each other in 2000. Our debates were civil and informative. Our campaign mailers were the same. He treated me with respect and so did his staff. Something you rarely see in these days of political rancor.

He was a moderate Republican but most importantly someone who truly understood the inter-workings of government, which allowed him to provide excellent service to his constituents.

Thank you, Congressman Steve Horn.

Redistricting Is Coming

Because of the census, the City is required to redraw its boundaries. The following is the presentation we received last night that starts the process. Please know that I will host several community meetings to discuss this issue. The law requires that each council district boundary be drawn to include the same amount of people in each district. Right now the 5th District needs 5,500 more residents.

Redistricting Process

Councilwoman Schipske Gets Council to Approve Paying Their Pension Costs

I want to thank my council colleagues who voted last night to support my motion on the floor that requires the Mayor and City Council to pay its full "employee share" of the pension costs. Up until recently, the City picked up the 8% of salary that was required for the employee portion as well as the employer portion.

I also asked that the other electeds -- City Attorney, City Prosecutor, and City Auditor -- pay their full share as well, but several council persons were reluctant to impose that on them without them in the council chambers (?) I find that interesting because we don't require the unions to be in the room. Oh well.

Hopefully, the other electeds who earn much more than the City Council does ($30,000 annually) will accept our invitation and pay up. Afterall, if we know all city employees must do this, then let's be leaders.

Yes, Councilmembers and other electeds should pay full share of pension

While this is the first year that any elected in Long Beach has paid toward the pension system, a reporter just asked if I thought we should pay the entire "employee share" instead of 1.8% that is being deducted.

"Of course we should," is my reply. And while we are at it, so should the City Attorney, City Prosecutor and City Auditor and the Mayor.

If this is the direction we are asking the employees to go, then we should be leading the march.

Transparency in Collective Bargaining

Readers: as you know I have proposed a charter amendment to require the City Council to let the public know in advance of the when bargaining with employee groups is taking place and to provide a copy of the proposed agreements before the City Council takes a vote on them.

Because we do not have that requirement right now, I am going ahead and posting the proposed agreements with several of our bargaining groups: Confidential and Management; and City Attorneys and Prosecutors. These contracts will be on the Council agenda for a vote by the full City Council.
Confidential and Management Employees
City Attorneys and Prosecutors Contracts

Government Documents Hot Off the Press

Check these latest government documents on issues impacting Long Beach and the 5th Council District:


What Long Beach did in 2010

Streets Repaired in 5th District

What Gov Brown's Budget Will Do to Long Beach

Environmental Report on Boeing

Community Briefing on Proposed Eastside Police Station at Schroeder Army Reserve Center

Come and hear the latest update on the proposed transfer of the Schroeder Army Reserve Center to the City of Long Beach for use as an Eastside Police Station. The site is located at the corner of Grand Avenue and Willow Street.

 

Wednesday

 February 16, 2011

6:30 pm

LB Water Treatment Plant

2950 Redondo Avenue (off Spring)

Speakers:

Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske

Chief of Police, Jim McDonnell

City Manager, Pat West

For more information:

Office of Councilwoman Schipske

562 570-6932

Schipske Launches Her Campaign

I am launching a campaign to request the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum to correct their newly opened exhibit: Pioneers of Flight.

While in Washington, D.C. I just was given a tour of the exhibit which showcases the First Transcontinental Flight of Cal Rodgers. It is a wonderful display that also includes facts about the Douglas World Cruiser and Amelia Earhart. Unfortunately, it slights Long Beach on several levels.

First of all, the flight of the Vin Fiz -- the name Cal Rodgers had painted on his Wright EX plane as an advertisement for his sponsor -- a grape drink sold by Armour -- went from Sheepshead Bay, New York to Long Beach, California. The exhibit acknowledges the importance of the flight but only includes verbiage on the Sheepshead Bay to Pasadena leg of the trip -- then shows a photo of Cal Rodgers landing the "waters of the Pacific Ocean." Those waters were located off the Pine Avenue Pier in Long Beach. More than 50,000 people gathered along the beach to watch Rodgers fly in because of the historic significance.

Rodgers was going to end his flight in Pasadena but because of the bright idea of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce they offered Rodgers $1000 to finish the transcontinental flight in Long Beach so that he could claim a "coast to coast" flight.

Millions of visitors will see the exhibit at the Smithsonian and it is important the fact that Long Beach, California was the final stop on this important flight be corrected -- especially since the 100th Anniversary will be held on December 10, 2011 right here in Long Beach.

Also it was disappointing not to find any mention in the Amelia Earhart area of the fact that she first came to Long Beach to see an Air Circus and received her first flight the next day from Poly High school graduate and pilot, Frank Hawks. The exhibit also fails to discuss the fact that Earhart flew in many Long Beach Air Circuses after Long Beach pilot John Montijo taught her aerobatic and how to solo fly.

Long Beach was the hub of aviation in the 1920 - 1940's and it is important that we not be left out of the history books or the historical museums.

So I have launched a campaign to request the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum to add these facts.

California Medical Board Grapples with Budget Problems

Readers -- as you may recall, I was appointed by the Senate Rules Committee to the California Medical Board which licenses and disciplines physicians in the state. We also oversee Physician Assistants, Licensed Midwives, and Optical Dispensers.

We meet quarterly and for the past two days we have been in Burlingame near San Francisco. We work two full days because we are a regulatory board so I never get to see much of the city in which we meet.

The board is grappling with a state budget that continues to freeze hiring and fail to fund needed programs. The problem is that we derive our budget from the license fees paid by physicians -- not tax revenue. So for the life of me I cannot understand why our employees who are charged with keeping the public safe from bad doctors are put on furloughs or not given the funds needed to continue necessary safety programs such as Operation Safe Medicine. We have vacancies that need to be filled so the department can do its job. Life doesn't stop just because of a hiring freeze. Consumers expect when they file a complaint against a physician that the California Medical Board has the staff and resources to handle the complaint in a timely manner.

This does not make sense. Hopefully the new governor (who was the Attorney General and the prosecutor for the cases the Medical Board took to him) understands that regulatory agencies need access to the funds that have been paid by licensees so we can do our job.

Latest Crime Stats in Long Beach

Crime 001

Residents Don't Favor Ban on Plastic Bags

I wasn't polling when I sent out emails to residents inviting them to attend a Town Hall I am hosting on Sat Jan 29th at 10 am at the LB Water Treatment Plant (Spring and Redondo), but lordy, lordy have I received a full email inbox from residents (with a few exceptions) who are very angry that the City would be proposing a ban on plastic bags at grocery stores and that the City would allow the stores to charge 10 cents for a paper bag.

In essence, most are saying promote a recycling plan and don't force something on people unless the entire state is doing it. Otherwise they will go elsewhere to shop.

For my district -- the 5th -- this is a significant response. We are fortunate to have the most grocery stores in a council district than in other districts so this will really impact this area more than other parts of the city. We are about to lose Boeing. We don't need to lose a grocery store or two because people shop in Lakewood or Cerritos or they go to a Target or Walmart that sells groceries but aren't grocery stores.

The Town Hall will be very interesting this Saturday. I ask that everyone who attends be civil and courteous to both sides of the issue. We can disagree civily.