Phone Conference with White House

Just finished a conference call earlier with Secretary of Defense Panetta and Valerie Jarrett along with other LGBT national leaders regarding DADT elimination. 

Great information and a wonderful victory for those in uniform and their families who wish to serve AND for our nation! Thank you President Obama!

California Redistricting Commission Cuts Long Beach Up

Click onto the link and type your address to see where the California Citizens Redistricting Commission has placed you in the newly drawn state assembly and senate and US Congressional districts.

The Commission -- because it never heard officially from the City of Long Beach -- has cut up the city several times. The most egregious cut are the state senate districts -- one of which starts five houses from me on Spring and then goes all the way over to Santa Ana.

The congressional district puts north Long Beach with Compton and then puts the rest of Long Beach with Westminster, Garden Grove, Cypress, Los Alamitos -- central and west Orange County.

Don't think many other cities in LA County are being cut up and placed with another county.

The commission is still accepting emails or phone calls about their decisions. Suggest if you are interested, check out the maps and then contact the commission. Time is running out. The decisions are about to be made final.
Click here to email.

Schipske Keeps Promise to WWII Icon -- Edith Shain

Schipske Keeps Promise to WWII Icon to

Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive in Long Beach!

July 21, 2011 – In 2008, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske made a promise to Edith Shain that she would do what she could to make certain that the City of Long Beach celebrated National Spirit of ’45 Day.

On August 14, Schipske keeps her promise by sponsoring “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive Day” at the El Dorado Senior Center, 2800 N. Studebaker.

Shain was a nurse working at Doctors Hospital in New York on August 15, 1945—the day Japan surrendered during World War II. Shain says she rushed into the streets of Times Square to join in the impromptu celebration that followed the news. Shain is the nurse being passionately embraced by a sailor in a photo shot by famed photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt on that day.

 “I met Edith when she came to the Queen Mary in 2008 to campaign for a permanent annual day that would ensure that her generation’s achievements could inspire a new generation of ordinary heroes to come together to face the complex issues and challenges America is struggling with today,” explains Schipske who has led the efforts to establish the Rosie the Riveter Park and Interpretive Center. 

“She was excited to hear what we were doing in Long Beach and I promised that we would include ‘spirit of ‘45’ in our efforts.”

In 2010, Congress designated the second Sunday in August as “Spirit of ’45 Day” to commemorate the end of WWII on August 14, 1945 and many communities across the U.S. are holding ceremonies and events to mark this historic time. http://www.spiritof45.org/site/  Edith Shain passed away in June 2010.

The City of Long Beach events will include the placing of a memorial wreath at the military memorial in Rosie the Riveter Park and Interpretive Center located at Conant Street and Clark Avenue on Saturday, August 14, followed by a  4:30 pm – 7 pm, 1940s Swing Dance and special appearance by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt at the El Dorado Community Center, 2800 N. Studebaker.

Music is provided by Johnny Kleker and the Big Band. Light refreshments will be provided. Suggested donation at the door: $10 for those born after 1945. Proceeds will go to the non-profit Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Foundation. 

Plastic Ban Agenda Item Pulled from Council Tonight -- Thwarting Efforts to Repeal

Did you blink? Then you might have missed it. Late last week an item was placed on the Council agenda because I disclosed that the plastic bag ban impacts larger stores which use larger bags such as Target, Kmart, Walmart -- even though council was told by the author of the bill that it didn't.

Tonight, without any explanation or apology, the item was removed from the agenda -- could it be that it was done because I announced I would make a motion to repeal the ban and the ten cent fee on paperbags?

Trying to get to the bottom of this switch. It was unfortunate that residents came to council and were told at the last minute the issue would not be discussed.

I have never received so much email on a topic as I have on the plastic bag ban and the ten cent fee. I have never received so much angry email -- residents are mad that this was passed.

We haven't heard the last word on this issue.

LGB on Airport Parking Structure Does not Stand for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual

I knew from the moment I saw the letters on the front of the beautiful newly constructed parking structure at the Long Beach Municipal Airport that someone would think that the "LGB" stood for something other than the call letters assigned to the airport by the Federal Aviation Administration.

And yes. I got the question today.

No, LGB on the airport does not stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual. Not only would that be politically incorrect because it neglects, "T" and "Q" (transgendered and questioning) but it has nothing to do with the fact that we have a very large lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (ok, questioning too) population and the largest Gay Pride Parade and Festival...

No conspiracy fans, the letters are assigned by FAA and they are on flight maps, tickets, baggage claims, etc.
Okay. Okay. I do get suspicious that the home of the "Octoberfest" beer fest gets the call letters "BER" (Berlin, Germany).


"LGB" stands for LonG Beach.

These letters are important. You could wind up in a far different airport just by switching around one letter "LBG" ( Paris - Le Bourget, France) or if you tried to be partially politically correct "LBQ" ( Lambarene, Gabon).


Come on folks, lighten up.

May be next time someone should read what they are voting on

No issue has angered voters in Long Beach more than the newly enacted ban on plastic bags. I voted against it on many grounds -- particularly we have no business imposing a tax not approved by the voters and it was not clear what stores it would impact.

Now that it is getting ready to be implemented, I posted the documents and I am posting the ordinance for your review. And guess what, I asked if Walmart, Target and Kmart were on the list and was told by City management that they were not exempt --- despite the council being told by the author of the bill that these stores and the types of bags they use would be exempt.

How embarrassing that now council is scrambling to delay  the implementation because someone finally read what the ordinance does.

I am going to make a motion to repeal the ban and the tax. 

So read the ordinance below and contact the City Council and tell them to repeal the ban and the tax entirely.
Plastic Bag Ordinance

Learn How Long Beach Became a Major Part of Aviation History in 1911

Where Plastic Bags Are Banned in Long Beach...More than was disclosed

Below is the city management memo and list of retail stores in Long Beach that will not be able to use plastic bags. Things that were not disclosed when the majority of the council voted (with my vote "NO") on this ban:
Plastic 001

Things not explained about the plastic bag ban

I will have to pull the video on the debate. I could swear that we were told during the discussion that stores such as Target, Walmart and Kmart that used much larger and thicker plastic bags would be exempt from the ban imposed by the City Council on local shoppers.

That's not the word I received today when the list came out and Target, Walmart and Kmart were on there as places where plastic bags are banned in Long Beach.

I again asked city staff to explain and received the following:

The only  bags allowed to be given away free under the Ordinance must be reusable:   1.  Have a minimum life of 125 uses.  (Capable of carrying a minimum of 22 pounds at least 175 feet)2.   Have a minimum volume of 15 liters3.  Machine washable or  made from a material that can be disinfected.4.  Must meet certain labeling requirements, and
5.  If plastic, must be a minimum of 2.25 mils thick.  
Staff has spoken to both Target and  Walmart and they understand their bags do not meet the requirements of the Ordinance to be given away free and plan to comply.  Staff has not spoken  with KMart. 

Boy or Boy are there going to be many angry residents over this one.

Schipske Votes Against Octoberfest

I was the lone vote against allowing an Octoberfest in the El Dorado Park again this year. I did so because last year was a disaster for the park.

The promoter cut off access to a great deal of the park. And because of rain, much of the grass area was torn up. Access to the event was very difficult. It really looked more like a carnival and less like an Octoberfest. The beer garden was a slightly fenced off area.

I  received numerous complaints from residents last year about the event and spent many hours in meetings to listen to their concerns.

Not quite sure why the Parks and Recreation Department ok'd the event again this year. The City didn't make much money. Attendance was poor. The venue was disappointing. The promoter took many months to pay the city. Geez, we can do better than this.

Current City Council Supports 1976 Boundaries -- Which Means Port Goes Back to First District

Several of my colleagues heaped praise on me the other night for distributing a copy of the 1976 council boundaries. Obviously, they liked the map because it showed the 7th District once had Bixby Road - which they used to support the taking of the same area grabbed the other night on a 7-2 vote.

So glad they appreciate history. I distributed the map to show that at one time, districts were very compact and not gerrymandered like most are now.

And now that I know how much they liked the "old boundaries" I am going to propose that we go back again to that map and move the Port of Long Beach back into the First Council district where it belongs. Fair? I think so. And I am sure they will heap more praise for bringing that to their attention as well.

See the 1976 map:

1976 Redistricting

Compare with current boundaries:

Current City Boundaries

LB Police Response to Constituent Concern About Burglaries

In response to a constituent's email to me about hearing about residential burglaries in the east side, I am posting Commander Lisa Lopez's response. I am also posting an illustration done by an alarm company in Maryland that pretty much sums it up about preventing residential burglaries:

The East Division has had an increase in residential burglary in 2011.  The East Division has been diligently working on suppression efforts, as well as increasing community awareness.  We have been assisted by volunteers, including Police Explorers and Search and Rescue, to distribute a flyer about residential burglary prevention and speak with residents about burglary trends in neighborhoods throughout East Division.  We have also been sharing information about crime trends at community meetings and encouraging people to report suspicious behavior in their neighborhoods.  Many great burglary-in-progress arrests have been made as a result of calls from the community about suspicious behavior.

In addition to Patrol Officers, we have an excellent team of Detectives who follow up on burglary incidents.  Our investigations are multifaceted, involving surveillance, follow up on repeat offenders, and search warrants.  We study trends within East Division, the entire city, and surrounding cities.  The majority of residential burglaries in East Division occur during daytime hours, when many houses and apartments are empty.  Over half of the residential burglaries in Long Beach occur to houses and apartments with open or unlocked doors and windows.  This is one of our most important messages for the community - please keep residences secure.  

Please call me if you would like to discuss this further.  I am happy to attend community meetings. 

Please know that I meet with Commander Lopez frequently and also receive updates via my Blackberry about what is occurring.You can also log onto www.Crimereports.com and enter your zip code to find out crimes that have been reported.

City Documents and Council Agenda Links

Happy 4th of July!

After you recover from this day and night of celebration, settle down and read several documents given to me down at City hall.

You will find them interesting -- I did.

Click here to read a proposal given to Councilman Patrick O'Donnell from the LB Firefighters Association which he gave to the Infrastructure and Transportation Committee. It proposes to create an independent Fire Protection District as a means of funding the department directly out of property tax increments instead of the City's general fund. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered before the City embarks on this. Other cities may be exploring this as well in light of recent state legislation that requires tax increment to be paid first to schools and then fire protection districts.

 

Southern California Edison provided me with a briefing (Click here) on their electricity utility. They are again reaching capacity over here in the 5th district due to all the electrical gadgets we use -- so they will be needing to install additional transformers so we don't have brownouts.   

As you already know, the City Council agenda is on line. Just click here to see what we are doing on Tuesday, July 5. You can leave a comment by clicking here. 

Hope you had a great holiday. And thanks for taking time to stay involved in the issues that face our City.

Yours,

Gerrie 

Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske

Shaping Up the 5th Yields Results

THE FIRST “SHAPING UP THE 5^TH” YIELDS A  “TO DO” LIST
A SECOND “SHAPING UP THE 5^TH” IS SET FOR July 30

(Long Beach, CA) – Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske and her staff are processing 133 service requests generated when residents took a walk around the Rancho Estates area on June 25^th looking for infrastructure problems and other issues.

“If these residents can spot 133 problems, just think of what an entire neighborhood could do,” said Schipske.  “It’s a great way to keep your body and your neighborhood in shape.”

The most common problems noted were raised sidewalks, cracked curbs, “alligatored” (multiple cracks and cratering) streets, faded street signs and trash cans left out after pick-up day. Some street signs were missing altogether.  Some homes had dry and overgrown foliage, which presents a fire hazard.

“We don’t just walk the walk, ” she said. “The service requests are sorted out and forwarded to the city Public Works Department or whichever department applies and we’ll keep tabs on them to see that some action is taken. Many repairs made now will save the city a lot of money in the future.”

The next “Shaping Up the Fifth” is July 30^th, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., covering the area east of Studebaker Road and north of Ward low Road.  All residents are invited to wear their comfortable shoes and meet in front of Keller Elementary School, 7020 Brittain Street.

Important Reminder: Support the Long Beach Fire Fighters Memorial Association 4th of July Fireworks Show

I was remiss in not pointing out earlier that the fireworks show at the Veterans Stadium is being done by the Long Beach Firefighters Memorial Association -- as they have done each year.

These guys do an incredible job putting this event together and use the proceeds to benefit a number of youth organizations in our community. Each year the costs for doing the event increase.

The cost is only $5.00 and you get to see a show inside the stadium that is not viewable outside.

The entire east side of Long Beach gets to see this show from the outside and those of you who will be at Rosie the Riveter Park, I ask that when we "pass the hat" around that day that you will give generously so that the firefighters can continue to provide this wonderful family event.

Free 4th of July Concert in Rosie the Riveter Park

Grab you chairs, blankets and food (but no alcohol) and plan on a fun evening concert and a view of the fireworks at Rosie the Riveter Park at the corner of Conant Street and Clark Avenue on July 4th beginning at 6pm.

The sounds of Motown will ring out in East Long Beach the evening of July 4th, when Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske hosts a "Custom Made" concert, at Rosie the Riveter Park and Interpretive Center, Clark Avenue and Conant Street, from 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

"Custom Made" is the name of the band that will perform music from the 60's through the 80's, Motown and Top 40. The group has performed all over the world, including Las Vegas, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Disneyland, Germany, and for U.S. troops in Iraq.

Rosie the Riveter Park is three acres, adjacent to the former Douglas Aircraft Plant dedicated to the women who labored in the jobs men left behind during World War 2 and the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

You can also walk around the park and learn more about the women who did their part to help keep us free.

The park is adjacent to Veterans Memorial Stadium, where the city's annual fireworks display will be put on after sunset, so it offers a great viewing spot.

There are still tickets available for the fireworks show at the Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Schipske Launches "Shaping Up the 5th District" -- Combines Walking with Inventory of Infrastructure

June 20, 2011 – Is there a sidewalk that needs fixing in your neighborhood? Has a street sign faded and needs replacing? Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske invites  you to join her and other residents in launching “Shaping Up the 5^th District”--  a project that encourages walking while at the same time giving residents a chance to help inventory the things that need fixing in their neighborhoods.

“I started walking the 5^th district several years ago,” says Schipske. “But the district is 11.5 square miles and I need help in order to get to every street so that the city has a complete inventory of what needs to be repaired or replaced.” 

Schipske adds that rather than having the city spend funds on a street by street inventory of its infrastructure, she wants to encourage walking, while at the same time getting residents involved in the process of identifying what needs to be fixed. Residents who walk a neighborhood will be given a bright yellow “How Can I Help You?” card that includes a checklist that can be used to identify what needs to be fixed at each location walked.

Schipske notes that she offers residents several other ways of alerting her to what needs to be fixed: a website “Service Request” form that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (at www.lbdistrict5.com) ; email (district5@longbeach.gov); contact form on her blog (www.gerrieschipske.com) or by telephone during working hours (562 570-6932).

“Shaping Up the 5^th District will be just one more way residents can get involved in making certain the city is informed about what needs to be fixed.” 

“Shaping Up the 5^th District” will kick off in the Rancho’s neighborhood on Saturday, June 25, 9 am - 11am, 7130 E. Premium Street.  The walks will be scheduled monthly. Please wear comfortable shoes.

“I invite residents from other areas of the 5^th District to join in all of these walks so that you can see the conditions of all neighborhoods.”

#30

Fire Station Brownouts and Oil Revenue and Fire Insurance Rates

The City has received news...or let's say it became public.. but the price per barrel of oil has been much higher over the past year than was budgeted. City management budgeted oil revenue at $45a barrel. The average price oil has been in excess of $65 a barrel.

Now I know this won't last forever or then again it might, but don't you all think it is time that if the city has this revenue that we restore the cuts that were made to public safety?

For instance, Station 19 in the 5th district was on a brown out last Sunday. I know because I went over to the station and no one was there for the entire afternoon (or at least til 3 pm when I left the adjacent park).

We should be taking that revenue and staffing the fire department. We do not need to risk being classified as a Class III fire department because of inadequate staffing levels. Fire insurance rates are determined by the quality of local fire departments.

We also should be taking that revenue and scheduling a police academy for the fall so that we don't go further behind on staffing levels.

I will be sending out a survey asking if you agree that any additional revenue should be spent on restoring cuts to public safety services.

Why we need to care about what happens to hotel workers

There is a story that isn't getting much coverage in the Long Beach press about a group of hotel workers who contend that they have been fired from a local hotel because they complained about unfair working conditions -- which they are entitled to do under the National Labor Relations Act without fear of being retaliated against.

The story is complicated because it appears that the hotel utilized an agency to hire the workers, and the workers did the very same work as the directly hired housekeepers. However, the agency workers complained to the hotel that they did not receive the same pay. nor benefits as the other workers did doing the same work and that the agency failed to deduct the appropriate taxes from their pay. A state agency interviewed some of the workers and the workers were let go by the hotel.

Now, I know that some think that in this economy people should be grateful for even having a job and that if they don't like the conditions at their job then they can leave.

There are several things wrong with that line of thinking: no economic condition should ever justify the waiving of legal rights and working men and women (most of the housekeepers in this country are women) should not be forced to give up their rights to work under the laws that govern employment. And, workers should be paid equal pay for equal work.

More and more stories are coming out about the injuries, abuse and mistreatment of hotel housekeepers across this country. Hotel workers are 48% more likely to be injured on the job than the typical
worker in the service sector. Hotel workers also have higher rates of serious, disabling injuries—those that require days away from work or reassignment to light duty.

Apparently, the hotel industry's use of heavy mattresses and the repetitive work of lifting the mattress to put on and tuck in sheets causes serious back strain. Pushing supply carts that can weigh as much as 300 pounds across carpeted floors puts additional pressure on workers arms, backs and legs. Repetitive motions of lifting, bending, stretching and pushing to scrub, clean, dust and vacuum, are not the only dangers they face. Housekeepers are also exposed to potent industrial cleaners on a daily basis and chemical-induced skin rashes and eye irritations are common.


Housekeepers have long been silent about their working conditions because they do not want to lose their source of employment. So it takes great courage to speak up to an employer when you are making below poverty level wages and doing back breaking work that you know you need to do in order to support your family. 

Many people have become sensitive to not purchasing clothing made by child or slave labor -- no matter how inexpensive the product may be. Clothing manufacturers have pledged not to use sweat shops as a result of public pressure. We know that cheap clothing made by children or slaves is not right. We know that it is not fair.

Well, it is not right to enjoy the luxury of a clean hotel room, stocked with fresh linens and mini-bar, while knowing that the people who provided the services have not been treated fairly.

Community Meeting Packed

The Water Treatment plant was filled to capacity tonight as residents came to listen to information on many subjects impacting the 5th Council District:

• redistricting
• plastic bags
• medical marijuana
• crime
• development at Douglas Park and at Lakewood and Willow
• city budget
• sidewalk repair, street repair and tree trimming
• summer programs and concerts in the parks

I want to thank the residents, my staff and other city staff would came out tonight to make this successful. As soon as the new budget is released, we will meet again to go over the details.