Schipske responds to Fed announcement about Medical Marijuana

English: Discount Medical Marijuana cannabis shop at 970 Lincoln Street, Denver, Colorado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For Immediate Release

Schipske Says “Now that feds have made it clear they will not stand in way of States which have made medical marijuana legal – Long Beach needs to move forward”

Long Beach, CA – August 29, 2013 – In response to US Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement that the Obama Administration would not stand in the way of states where voters have supported legalizing marijuana either for medical or recreational use as long as those states maintain strict rules involving the distribution of the drug, Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske issued the following statement:

“The City of Long Beach has rightfully been concerned that even though State law allows the use of marijuana for medical purposes, the federal government continued to arrest and prosecute those who grew and dispensed it. The release of a memorandum by US Deputy Attorney General James Cole to US Attorneys, today, outlines the position of the US Department of Justice which supports those jurisdictions that have legalized the use of marijuana and have put into place ‘strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems to control the cultivation, distribution, sale and possession of marijuana.’

The memo further acknowledges that is not an efficient use of federal resources to focus enforcement efforts on seriously ill individuals, or on their individual caregivers and draws the distinction between the seriously ill and their care givers on one hand, and large-scale, for profit commercial enterprises on the other. The latter will continue to be the target of federal prosecutors if it is determined that these operations violate any of the following enforcement priorities of the federal government:

• ·        Preventing the distribution of marijuana to minors;
• ·        Preventing the revenue from the sale of marijuana going to criminal enterprises, gangs and cartels;
• ·        Preventing marijuana possession or use on federal property;
• ·        Preventing the diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal under state law in some form to other states;
• ·        Preventing state-authorized marijuana activity from being used as a cover or pretext for the trafficking of other illegal drugs or other illegal activity;
• ·        Preventing violence and the use of firearms in the cultivation and distribution of marijuana;
• ·        Preventing drugged driving and the exacerbation of other adverse public health consequences associated with marijuana use; and
• ·        Preventing the growing of marijuana and the attendant public safety and environmental dangers posed by marijuana production on public lands.

“What is most instructive to the City of Long Beach is the following statement from US DOJ:

               ‘In jurisdictions that have enacted laws legalizing marijuana in some form and that have also implemented strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems to control the cultivation, distribution, sale and possession of marijuana, conduct in compliance with those laws and regulations is less likely to threaten the federal priorities set forth above. Indeed a robust system may affirmatively address those priorities by, for example, implementing effective measures to prevent diversion of marijuana outside of the regulated system and to other states, prohibiting access to marijuana by minors and replacing an illicit marijuana trade that funds criminal enterprises with a tightly regulated market in which revenues are tracked and accounted for.’

It is now time for the City of Long Beach to re-visit the issue of how the Compassionate Use Act can be implemented in the city through a strong and effective regulatory and enforcement system that protects the seriously ill and their care givers while at the same time complies with the federal priorities to prevent criminal enterprises.”

Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske represents the Fifth Council District in Long Beach. She is a Registered Nurse Practitioner and attorney at law.

The US DOJ memo can be viewed at this link: http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/3052013829132756857467.pdf 

Related articles

• Feds won't sue to stop marijuana use in 2 states (news.yahoo.com)
• Feds won't sue to stop marijuana use in 2 states (bostonherald.com)
• Dept. of Justice won't stand in the way of legalized marijuana, Holder says (newsday.com)
• DOJ and Obama Administration (finally) announce plans concerning federal marijuana enforcement (lawprofessors.typepad.com)
• Justice Department Gives Yellow Light to Marijuana Legalization (forbes.com)

The importance of libraries in Long Beach

Libraries Work Because We Do! (Photo credit: circulating)

Look carefully at the Mayor’s budget. It does not restore one cut to the City’s library system. It does not return librarians who were replaced by self-service check out systems. It does not replenish the materials budget which was slashed from $1.8 million in FY 2008 and is now down to $677,000.

It pretends to be an appropriate size budget for a library system that serves a population of 450,000. But through slashing and cutting and intimidation of staff who are afraid to speak out about what has been done to the library system in Long Beach, this budget helps feeds into the myth promulgated by the Mayor about the inevitable demise of libraries. After all, he told the Los Angeles Times that because of the internet, libraries have become smaller.

The library budget totals only 3.1 percent of the general fund. The FY 2014 budget proposes spending one-time funds for the north library furniture and books but does not budget one penny for staff. Small funds are proposed for tables to plug in lap tops but no funds are proposed to upgrade the wiring necessary to feed electricity to the lap tops. Minimal funding is proposed for some roof repairs – but details of which libraries to be repaired are missing. No funding is proposed to fix and repair all of the branch libraries that suffer from infrastructure neglect.

If we allow these cuts to remain and the library system to be diminished it is because we haven’t made it clear to our elected officials that libraries are more than a book-lending service – especially during bad economic times and high unemployment. Libraries add to the city’s economic growth and vitality by providing access to information and research, literacy programs, and spaces for reading, relaxing and working. For some, libraries are a safety net where they can access the internet.

Our libraries are providing numerous resources in various forms. We need to educate our elected officials what would will be lost if adequate funding is not provided for our libraries. Perhaps then, as one supporter of libraries wrote: “they will see a future for the library that is worth funding and avoid the folly of penny wise and pound foolish decisions that would withdraw this key service from the public.”

Proposed State legislation would require elected officials to take financial management training

Finance (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

Now here's an idea. Elected local officials are required by state law to take ethics training every two years, so why not require them to take financial management training as well?

That's why Assembly member Gordon who thinks that with recent budget problems in several cities, that it might not be a bad idea to require all elected officials to undergo financial management training, which according to his bill is:

“Financial management training” includes, but is not limited
 to, the following:
 (1) Laws and commonly excepted accepted best practices
 relating to local budgeting, including, but not limited to, revenue
 sources, debt instruments, budget monitoring, and financial
 policies.
 (2) Laws relating to financial reporting requirements for local
 agencies at the local, state, and federal levels, including auditing
 requirements.
 (3) Laws and commonly accepted best practices relating to
 long-term financial planning, cash management, and investments,
 for local agencies.
 (4) Laws and commonly accepted best practices relating to
 capital financing and debt management.
 (5) Laws relating to purchasing and contracting practices.

It would also help to require training in pension financing and setting performance measures for local budgets.

What do you think about this idea? You can read his bill at http://leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/asm/ab_1201-1250/ab_1235_bill_20130701_amended_sen_v97.pdf

East side dog park groundbreaking today

Today we celebrated the ground breaking of the east side dog park in El Dorado Regional Park. Lots of 4 legged friends brought their owners to see the 1.5 acre site just inside the entrance to the El Dorado Regional Park. Also in attendance were ME 2 Nick Antis and his partner Ryder, a Belgian Malinois, who serve in the US Coast Guard National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program which makes our Port of Long Beach safe and secure.

Hopefully , the dog park will be dedicated to those canines who are in service to our country, our city and owners who need their assistance. Guide, service and K9 dogs provide wonderful service in so many ways and it would be great for Long Beach to be the first to acknowledge that service in this park.

The park is slated to open in late November and will feature space for small and large dogs and ADA accessibility. While 1.5 acres, it can be expanded with community funding and help.

The initial park is being funded with infrastructure funds from a budget given to each council member. I have used most of the $500,000 for street, sidewalk and curb repairs. This park will use $65,000 of that fund.

My office is currently seeking additional corporate support for the park. Donations can be sent to Partners of Parks, 2760 N. Studebaker Road, Long Beach, CA 90815.

We Can Do Better Long Beach..

Is the moon full? Is there something in the water? Something is not right at City Hall. Maybe it is the fact that more than half of the Council is potentially leaving and running for other offices, as is the Mayor.

Someone needs to come up with an explanation why the City budget isn't what it needs to be, nor is the process for involving the residents.

Two big issues stand out: a lack of real performance measures and a concerted effort to reduce the number of City Council meetings with therein reduces the opportunities to review the entire budget in a public setting.

As I wrote earlier, the proposed $3.2 billion dollar budget given to the City Council on August 1 by the Mayor contains a paltry few performance measures. Performance measures are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound. Without them, employees cannot gauge if they are doing a good job. More importantly, taxpayers don't get to see if they are getting the best return on their tax dollars.

When I asked in Council why they were again not included, I was told by the City Manager that the City could not afford to hire staff necessary to do performance measures. Then the Mayor chimed in (since it is really his budget) that there were performance measures. So once again I read the entire budget. Here is what I found:

For instance, the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department budgeted at over $52 million has exactly 4 performance measures: Marina Slips Occupancy, Water Usage in Median and Parks, Percentage of Animals Released to Owners, and Hours of Free After School Programming. PRM has numerous programs -- where are performance measures so that taxpayers can determine if their dollars are being used wisely?

Fire with a $94 million dollar budget has 3 performance measures: Response time to structure fires, Response time to dispatch calls, Percent of fires confined to room of origin. Where are the performance measures concerning fire inspections, ambulance transport rates, costs per transport, Safety plan checks, hazardous materials contained, arson investigations, etc. And most importantly, where are the measurements concerning response times for paramedic and medical service calls?

Public Works has a $146 million dollar budget and has only 4 performance measures listed in the budget document: Percentage of residential street rated in“good” or better condition, Number of potholes filled on a monthly basis, Number of traffic safety and parking investigations completed, Tons of debris diverted (Street Sweeping). How about the number of projects completed on time and under budget? Number of vehicles in the fleet and how quickly are they repaired?  How about measures on the many, many things this department does?

I could go through each department (and I have) to list what performance measures were include...and not included. 

There is a saying in organizational theory and behavior -- a topic I have taught several times at CSULB -- that if something is not measured, it cannot be managed. Bottom line, how do we know these are the right programs in the right departments at the right budget levels?

The Mayor's statement about the budget having "performance measures' reminds me of Bette Midler's famous parody of Mae West -- "I have my standards. They're low. But I have them."

Tonight, the Mayor pushed through cancelling the August 20th council meeting on a 7-1 vote (I voted no and DeLong was absent). The Mayor said that the City Manager had suggested the meeting be cancelled because several council members wanted time off during the summer. 

Oh my, I guess everyone forgot that the Mayor just gave the Council his budget on August 1 and that we need to meet in public to discuss the 12 or more departments, the proposed surplus, the infrastructure budget, our fees and services, etc. (By the way, the City Manager stated in his briefing today that the Mayor put the item on the agenda to cancel the meeting.)

Now, let me put this in perspective. We received the Mayor's budget on August 1 and we have until September 15 to pass a $3.2 BILLION dollar budget. We didn't work on the budget tonight (although we heard a sobering presentation on pensions costs and unfunded liabilities). We won't have a budget meeting on August 20 and we are not scheduled to meet on August 27th. So we come back to council on September 3 and then have one more meeting before the deadline.

The Mayor angrily responded to me at council (what else is new in the past 7 years...) and stated that we've been talking about the budget since March. Really Mayor? Then why did it take you until August 1 to give it to us? We didn't talk about this specific budget nor did we tell the public that we were "talking" about the budget and that is what the budget process in August and early September is all about.

Note that there is also no on-line interactive budgeting this year for residents to participate in. Was told "don't need them because we don't have any cuts this year." Really? We don't need citizen input on how we are going to spend their dollars? So much for civic engagement.

Come on Long Beach. We can do better. And we can get help. The International City Management Association (ICMA) assists local governments in assessing their performance over time and in comparing their performance with that of their peers. ICMA also has complied performance measures for all the city departments.

Why is this important? There is a growing expectation that taxpayer dollars be justified. So performance measurement helps evaluate the way a city does business and at the same time increases civic engagement and improves public transparency. And that would be better for all of us.

Related articles

• Council attendance at budget committee meetings is 78 percent (cjonline.com)

We Couldn't Afford Performance Measures? This is not responsible budgeting.

Last night at the Council's first budget session, I asked the City Manager why there are no performance measures in his or the Mayor's budget document so that taxpayers can determine whether or not they are getting their money's worth and whether or not management can determine if a department and its programs are working effectively. I have asked each budget year for these measures. We had them 5 years ago and they disappeared.

The answer I received from the City Manager and which the public heard was astounding.

"We haven't been able to afford staff and time to do them."

What??!!! Performance measures are the essence of transparency and effective government. They tell us:

• How well we are doing?
• Are our customers satisfied?
• Are we meeting our goals and objectives?
• If and where improvements are necessary

Every business, every level of government needs to have performance measures. You can't have a strategy without measurement. As the saying goes: "what gets measured, gets done."

How do our city employees know if they are doing a good job? How do we know?

Our measures need to include:

• What and how much do we do?
• How well do we do it?
• Is anyone better off for doing it?

Let's take a look at what other cities in California do:

San Jose: The Budget Office also compiles performance measure information for the City. This information is incorporated into the annual budget process and is used by department staff throughout the year to measure progress in meeting performance goals.

San Diego: Performance Indicators are statistical indicators of City departments’ operating performance. They provide meaningful current and historic performance information for the City’s residents and to the Mayor and City Council to use in developing informed budgetary and policy decisions. (In fact, click here to read the performance measures used in San Diego. http://www.sandiego.gov/fm/annual/pdf/fy06/09v1sea.pdf)

 

There is no excuse for a Mayor or City Manager budget not to include performance measures nor for City Council members to state this budget is "responsible."

In most cities, Department work plans are required to support the cities' strategic planning priorities and are the basis for budgeting, requests for enhancements and reduction alignments. In most cities, the City Manager has a preliminary meeting with each department to review the department's work plan and to ensure that they support the strategic priorities. 

In San Diego, the Mayor has included performance measures in his budget presented to the City Council after the City Council insisted that such measures be included in the budget. The City Council then passed “Ten Fundamental Principles for an Effective, Cooperative and Transparent Mayor-Council Form of Government” (“Principles”) to ensure that future Mayors are committed to a governance structure guided by 

the overriding principles of effectiveness, cooperation and transparency and that also work 

within the parameters of the City’s Charter." A key principle is: "publicly report performance results for core city services."

The Long Beach City Council approved retaining a consultant -- Management Partners -- to determine efficiencies -- let's have them help city management develop performance measures so taxpayers can determine what they are paying for. To do less, is not responsible. 

Schipske Responds to City Manager/Mayor Proposed Budget -- Need to Focus on Job Creation in Long Beach

New-Long-Beach-City-Seal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Schipske Responds to Proposed Budget -- Says Time for City to Wage A Real War For Jobs – Calls for Portion of One Time Funds to Be Used to Spur Private Job Creation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development in Long Beach – 

Also Calls for relief for residents from high fees and fines

August 2, 2014 -- In response to the release of the City Manager/Mayor budget for Fiscal Year 2014, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske released the following statement:

“As required by state law and City Charter, the proposed budget for FY 2014 is balanced. This year, it reflects a large surplus in revenue caused directly by the return of property tax dollars due to the dissolution of redevelopment and the continued high price of oil.

While $5.5 million of this revenue surplus – also called one time funds -- are being proposed by the Mayor for Public Safety (something for which I have strongly advocated over the past several years), there is no provision to utilize any of the surplus to deal with the high unemployment rate and the lack of private sector job growth in Long Beach.

Long Beach continues to experience the highest unemployment rate in California. As recently as March 2013, the rate was 11.6% as compared with 8.8% percent for California and 7.6% nationally. This should be unacceptable to any elected official in this City and reversing this problem should be our first priority.

The State Legislature just abolished the ‘enterprise zone’ tax credits that Long Beach was able to use to recruit companies to create jobs here, so now more than ever we need a strategy that pulls together entrepreneurs, educators and City leaders to find out how together we increase job creation.

The City must utilize a portion of this $56 million dollar surplus to wage a war on creating and retaining private sector jobs. We need to figure out why our unemployment rate is so high and why other cities, particularly in the Bay Area of the state, are thriving and creating sustainable, good paying jobs. We need to closely examine what part our city government can play in developing a local solution.

As John Clifton writes in his article: “Cities: Where Good Jobs Are Created” -- Have your whole city wage a war for jobs. Everybody in charge of anything needs to focus on job creation. If they divert their attention, vote them out. Be ruthless. If the bike path doesn't have anything to do with job creation, there is no bike path. If rezoning improves the jobs outlook, rezone.

I would propose that $2 million dollars be designated to establish a Small Business Services Initiative that would offer seed money for entrepreneurs so that businesses can start, operate and expand in Long Beach. Most importantly, a SBSI would also bring together local educational institutions, entrepreneurs, labor unions, local government and others to address the problems of job loss, low graduation rates, the continued ‘brain drain’ of college graduates who leave Long Beach, and the lack of training programs for blue collar jobs, to ensure we are all on the same page about the need to create jobs. This initiative could also help locate affordable workspaces to support start up businesses. (Perhaps the City could use some of the 296 properties from redevelopment for workspaces.)

The City also needs to pursue locating a ‘Green Tech Zone’ in Long Beach which can serve as an incubator for innovation and would create jobs in these growing industries. I authored legislation last year directing the City Manager to explore this possibility to duplicate what the City of Los Angeles has done.  I asked that a committee of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce work with the City to explore this option for Long Beach. The aim would be to attract clean industries through incentives, including help obtaining permits and tax and utility rebates. 

Long Beach needs to make its top priorities – real job creation and economic growth.

We also have to lessen the burden on the working families of our city who struggle to keep their jobs and pay their taxes. Recently, the City Council passed legislation so that real estate agents no longer have to pay a separate business license if they work under a broker. The City Council needs to review all of the fees and fines we require residents to pay: From the costs of a home business license to the parking ticket for not moving your car in time for the street sweepers. We need to provide some relief.”

Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske has represented the 5^th Council District since 2006. She will hold a District 5 Budget Meeting on August 14^th at 6 pm at the Water Treatment Plant, 2950 Redondo (at Spring).

Find out the latest and connect with the Long Beach Police Department

The City of Long Beach has developed or purchased a number of phone apps which can be used to connect residents directly with city services.

See this video on the latest phone app that will connect you with the Long Beach Police Department.

Right Up Your Alley..

Shaping Up the Fifth Summer Alley Clean Up: Volunteers Have Tackled Three Alleyways in First Two Weeks of Project

      

 Before and After photos of alley between Palos Verde and Conquista above.

     

In the first two weeks of the Shaping up the Fifth Alley Cleanup, volunteers have tackled seven blocks of alley in three locations in the Fifth District. Volunteers working under the supervision of Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske's Office, have raked and swept up dead vegetation, removed weeds and overgrowth, inspected for potholes, graffiti, and reported large dumped items and other hazards.

The alley clean up project will continue every Wednesday through Friday from 8 am - noon through the summer. The project has been done every two summers as part of the Councilwoman's Shaping Up the Fifth initiative. The process began this year with an inspection and prioritization of need. Volunteers will clean approximately 45 blocks of alley that are in the Fifth District this year.

Alleys cleaned so far: 

1. Between Palo Verde and Hackett from Keynote north to where it dead-ends south of Saint Maria Goretti School - about two and a half blocks long. 
2. Between Palo Verde and Hackett from Pageantry to where it dead-ends just south of Wardlow. 
3. Between Palo Verde and Conquista from Pageantry and Killdee.

My staff and I are working hard to track areas with greatest need for improvements and repair. Our biannual alley cleanups have also helped to keep our alley safe.  

I hope that funding will be made available for full alley repaving. Currently, the City of Long Beach has focused only on streets.  

Help Keep Our Fifth District Alleys Clean and Beautiful

Volunteers and residents are invited to join Councilwoman Schipske in this community event to promote healthier neighborhoods and involve residents in keeping their community beautiful. Volunteers will meet at targeted locations each week to help pull weeds, bag up debris, and make note of issues such as faded signs, graffiti, dumped items, and potholes. Ruth Bach and El Dorado Neighborhood Libraries will also get some help from volunteers later in the summer with some fresh paint, and clean up tasks.

  

The meeting place for the next alley to be tackled on Wednesday, August 7th is between Clark Ave and Greenbrier Rd. at Harco St. Volunteers are asked to meet 8 am. Residents are invited to bring their own tools to supplement the limited number of rakes, shovels, hoes, and gloves that will be available.   

Bi-annual Shaping Up the Fifth Alley Clean up Project 

WHEN:

Wednesday through Friday 

8 am - noon

Next Clean Up Session: Wednesday, August 7

WHERE: 

on August 7th, meet at the alley 

off Harco between Clark Avenue and Greenbrier Rd.

Help remove weeds and debris, and inspect for potholes and report graffiti

The Councilwoman's ongoing effort to address infrastructure needs in the Fifth Council District, called "Shaping Up the Fifth," focuses on local alleys every two years. Council staff and neighborhood volunteers continuously inspect and inventory the district's streets and sidewalks,.

It's a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference!

To volunteer for the alley clean up project, 

and to confirm daily locations, 

please call the Office of Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske 

at 562-570-6932 or email district5@longbeach.gov

weekdays between 8 am - 5 pm

A staff member will be able to give you directions to that location. 

Please be sure to include your phone number in your message so you can be contacted directly in the event of rain or unforeseen location changes.

Schipske Honored As Attorney of the Year by Women Lawyers of Long Beach

Was deeply honored tonight by the Women Lawyers of Long Beach as "Attorney of the Year." I am grateful to be honored by my peers and am extremely proud to be a graduate of Long Beach's own Pacific Coast University School of Law.

The group asked me to speak tonight and I did on re-imagining Long Beach. Below is my speech:

Thank you so much for inviting me tonight.

When Stephanie asked me to speak I immediately panicked thinking I would have to discuss a complex topic such as the 2700 pages of the Patient Protection Act and Affordable Care Act. Please don’t tell my students in my legal class at CSULB that I haven’t read the entire law yet...

I was relieved when she told me I could talk about Long Beach...or better yet...how to Re Imagine Long Beach.

I love Long Beach. I was born here over on 7^th Street at what was once the US Naval Hospital.

My parents came here by chance. My dad who was from New Jersey was 18 and in the Marines when he met my mom at the Pike in 1947. My mom was 17 and had come here with her family of 13 to escape the poverty of a coal mining town in Pennsylvania. They married in 1949 at St. Lucy’s on our Westside.

My maternal grandmother was a Gold Star mother and lived on Santa Fe Avenue.

As a kid we shopped on Pine Avenue and only subscribed to the Independent Press Telegram when we moved to Orange County.

I came back to Long Beach in 1977 by choice – having worked for the CIA and then the US Congress. Since then I have been involved in one way or another with Long Beach – met my partner, Flo Pickett here and we will be celebrating our 33^rd year together. Adopted our three children. Served in public office and appointive office here. Worked in our local hospitals as a Registered Nurse. Opened a law practice downtown. Taught at CSULB. And proudly wrote three books on the history of Long Beach.

So Long Beach is a topic near and dear to my heart.

You know the bible says at Proverbs 29:18 – where there is no vision, the people perish..and so I want to talk a moment to talk about how we as women lawyers can re-imagine, and put forth a vision of how we can make Long Beach the best city it deserves to be.

Before I start -- Let me give you some numbers I want you to remember – and for those of us who are in advancing years – this is a test often given in a doctor’s office.

25, 55, 60 and 22.

Repeat after me: 25, 55, 60 and 22.

From the very beginning, people have migrated to this area – this town we call Long Beach because of the opportunities it offers. Our native settlers – the Tongva now known as the gabriellenos – flourished here because of the abundance of fish in our ocean and fresh water in our artesian wells and the small game that lived among the grasses that grew tall. The tongva in fact located one of their holy places over what is now Rancho Los Alamitos.

The Mexicans and then the Spanish treasured this land because it nourished cattle and provided wide open spaces for farming.

When the Civil War ended in this country, thousands traveled by train to settle in what was first called American colony, then Willmore City and then Long Beach in hopes of a healthier environment, a chance to grow citrus crops and an opportunity to make their fortunes with land development. That is why Long Beach has more than 1500 Civil War veterans buried in the two cemeteries on Willow and Orange.

A woman came and offered to install electricity in 1895. She did and then went on to construct the electrical system for the state of Arizona. A giant in the ship building industry relocated from Toledo Ohio in the early 1900s which spurred the development of a port and the interest of the US Navy. We were known as the fastest growing city in the US.

The Walk of a Thousand Lights and electric trolleys attracted visitors and real estate buyers. Shortly after, Pres Theodore Roosevelt sent the Great White Fleet to visit and Long Beach turned out 50,000 strong to show its support.

Our long beach accommodated the early aviators and the first transcontinental flight landed over near Seaside and Linden in 1911. Amelia Earhart learned how to fly solo and do aerobatics in Long Beach. Charles Lindbergh often visited as stayed at the Wilton.

The      The discovery of oil 1921 gave this city a wealth unknown to local government. It brought thousands in search of work and wealth and the city expanded facilities and opportunities. The possibilities were endless.

When the US Army decided to build Douglas Aircraft in the late 1930s, thousands more flocked to the city looking for that opportunity. More than 45,000 people worked each day building airplanes and 10,000 building ships. The war brought even more and when it was over people stayed.

Long Beach went through a series of transitions as the military eventually left. We lost a shipyard, a naval station and a naval hospital. Commercial aviation could not take up the slack and so many people left to Long Beach by choice and by chance.

In the 1970s, rezoning allowed the building of cheap, over sized apartment complexes which destroyed our neighborhoods.

The riots in 1992 brought home the fact that the City failed to deal with the racism that had been an under current in this town for many years. After all this city sent more Japanese to the camps than any other. It segregated its African Americans to one specific area of the city and allowed the Klu Klux Klan to parade on Ocean and meet in its municipal auditorium.

So we have slowly recovered and improved– much more slowly than other cities because the lack of a wide job base. Our school system has been recognized for its excellence and once again tourists are coming from all over the US to see this magnificent city by the sea flanked by our Aquarium. Last weekend, thousands came to watch our Grand Prix.

So remember those numbers I gave you a few minutes ago: 25, 55, 60 and 22

Let’s talk about what they mean.

25 is the percentage of people living in Long Beach at or below the poverty level.

55 is the percentage of children living in Long Beach at or below the poverty level.

60 is the percentage of violent crimes committed in Long Beach are committed in three areas of the City – Downtown, Central and North Long Beach.

22 is the percentage of people in Long Beach who vote in a City wide election – that amounts to about 33,000 out of 450,000 residents and out of 191,000 registered voters who bother to vote and the majority of these voters don’t live the areas of the city impacted by violence and poverty.

So if I were to reimagine Long Beach – I would envision a city that utilizes the talents and gifts of everyone to make this city the best it deserves to be and ask them to strive to be the voice of those who have given up trying.

You don’t need to be a genius to look at those numbers to see the connection between poverty and crime and lack of civic engagement. We can’t afford to live in a city that is this divided. I don’t want to live in a city that is so divided and we need to find a way to bring it together.

So as I stand before you, I would say that you perhaps more than any other organization have the opportunity to help with this vision. You all – we all as lawyers have been given an incredible gift and talent – that is the law. We know it. We know how to utilize it. We know how powerful it is.

I am asking all of you to find one thing that you can do to make this city better. Just one thing. Doesn’t have to be big – because often it is the little things that matter the most. But please walk out of here with those numbers in your head and think of one thing you can do to change those numbers.

I am not a religious person – but I would say that my patron saint of re-imaging a situation and making it better – would be St. Francis of Assisi who lived in the late 1100’s. He was the son of a wealthy merchant and according to the Catholic encyclopedia was: Handsome, gay, gallant, and courteous.

He also did what most young adults do – he rebelled against his father’s wealth and gave it away. (I have to tell you I so hoped my kids would rebel and become rich..but oh well.)

Francis gave away everything and worked among the poor. His girlfriend, Clare, also dedicated herself to acts of charity and both became the founders of religious orders..and by the way never married.

He became beloved for his work among the poor, his spirit of humility and his peacemaking – he refused to go to war. We know him today as the person who also loved animals and blessed them and for introducing the crèche – the nativity scene at Christmas.

But what I also know him most for is his peace prayer – a prayer I keep on my computer at home and that I feel re-imagines and provides a vision for all of us of how things can be –

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace

Where there is hatred, let me sow love

where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light

where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console

To be understood as to understand

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving, that we receive

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned

It is in dying that we are born again.

Amen.

15 Champions of Change for Open Government and Civic Hacking Honored by White House -- Including Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 22, 2013

White House Highlights Open Government and Civic Hacking “Champions of Change”

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, July 23rd, the White House will honor 15 leaders and organizations as open government and civic hacking “Champions of Change.” As entrepreneurs, innovators, organizers, and community leaders, these “Champions of Change” have made a tremendous positive impact by building high-tech tools to help health workers and disaster-response crews better serve communities; piloting innovative programs to involve traditionally disengaged communities in local governance; using new technologies to enhance government transparency and collaboration; and more.

When presenting his new management agenda earlier this month, President Obama said, “… We the people recognize that this government belongs to us, and it’s up to each of us and every one of us to make it work better…We all have a stake in government success -- because the government is us.”

The White House Champions of Change program was created as part of President Obama’s Winning the Future Initiative. Through this program, the White House highlights individuals, businesses, and organizations whose extraordinary stories and accomplishments positively impact our communities.

To watch this event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 10:00 am ET on July 23rd. To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program and nominate a Champion, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions.

Steve Spiker, Director of Research & Technology at the Urban Strategies Council

Moraga, CA

Steve Spiker (Spike) is the Director of Research & Technology at the Urban Strategies Council, a social change nonprofit supporting innovation and collaboration based in Oakland for almost 25 years. He leads the Council’s research, spatial analysis, civic innovation, open data, and technology efforts. Spike has research experience in community development, housing, criminology, spatial epidemiology and reentry issues. He loves data, visualization, GIS and strategic technology implementation, especially open source tech. Spike is the co-founder of OpenOakland, a Code for America Brigade and is helping guide government technology decisions and civic

engagement in the East Bay. In 2012 Spike was chosen as one of the Next American City Vanguard class. He is an outspoken supporter of open data and open government and speaks across the USA about data driven decision making. He also campaigns to end human trafficking and runs Stealing Beauty Photography.

Travis Laurendine, Founder and CEO of LA Labs

New Orleans, LA

Travis Laurendine doesn't fit in the typical bio box any more than his hair fits into the typical hat. As a serial entrepreneur he has been on the cutting edge of both the web startup and entertainment industry for nearly 10 years. He launched his first web startup while an Economics major at Vanderbilt University, where he was also selected as the first Vanderbilt student with a film to make it in the Nashville Film Festival. When Hurricane Katrina struck his hometown of New Orleans, he stayed back in the city and found himself wearing the hats of startup CEO, concert promoter, restaurant general manager, standup comic, film/video producer and director, MTV News journalist, band manager/agent, investor, hackathon organizer, Entrepreneur-In-Residence, and cultural ambassador. Recently, he founded Louisiana's first hackathon organization, CODEMKRS, which is currently being transformed into Louisiana's only modern code school. This summer he has organized hackathons for giant music festivals JazzFest and Bonnaroo and is currently planning San Francisco's Outside Lands' first hackathon. His official job is being the founder and CEO of LA Labs, a startup laboratory focused on the marriage of entertainment and technology that uses New Orleans as the ultimate creative incubator. He is thankful for his loving family and friends and the daily inspiration he gets from the great city of New Orleans.

Scott Phillips, Co-Founder and CEO of Isocentric Networks

Tulsa, OK

Scott Phillips is the co-founder and CEO of Isocentric Networks, an advanced data center services company based in Tulsa, OK. He was previously the founder and CEO of a sensor technology company whose work included a project for NASA for use on a manned mission to Mars. Scott is also a founding board member of Fab Lab Tulsa, a 21st Century non-profit community center for innovation, entrepreneurship, and STEM education through a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Scott’s current passion lives at the nexus of entrepreneurship, the maker movement, and civic hacking, three transformative movements that he believes are democratizing how we live, work and play. According to Scott, it is easy to understand the impact of civic hacking on government when you view it in three steps; give citizens transparency, give citizens a voice, then give citizens ownership.

George Luc, Co-Founder and CEO of GivePulse

Austin, TX

George Luc is Co-Founder and CEO of GivePulse, a social network that matches people to causes and enables nonprofits, companies and affinities to manage volunteers, list events and track service hours in one central community. GivePulse launched earlier this year in 2013 and has since tracked over 100K service hours and mobilized over 5K volunteers in Austin alone. George has a BS and MS in Computer Science from Virginia Tech with an emphasis in Human Computer Interaction. He spent much of his early career developing technology for people with disabilities and has worked with companies like Daylert, IBM, ESO and HomeAway. He serves as a board member of City of Austin Volunteer & Service, Austin Convention Center and Visitor’s Bureau, KLRU, Open Door Preschool, and was a City Commissioner for Austin Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities.

Craig Michael Lie Njie, CEO, Kismet World Wide Consulting

Mountain View, CA

Mr. Lie Njie is CEO of Kismet World Wide Consulting, which he founded in 2002. Lie has over 20 years of professional experience and currently consults world-wide on a variety of topics including privacy, security, technology design and development, education, entrepreneurship, management, sales and marketing, and mobile application development. Lie was given his name as an honorarium for his three years of service (2005-2008) as a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa, where he designed, deployed, and taught the first two years of The Gambia's first Bachelor's in Computer Science program at the University of The Gambia (UTG). Today his program is still successful and sustainable. After returning from the Peace Corps, Lie recruited and managed a volunteer team to build and release the free WasteNot iOS app to help people world-wide share their good ideas for reducing environmental impact. He furthermore helped the United Nations as a technology consultant and researched and documented the privacy risks of health and fitness mobile apps.

Christopher Whitaker, Project Management Consultant at the Smart Chicago Collaborative

Chicago, IL

Christopher Whitaker is a project management consultant at the Smart Chicago Collaborative, utilizing his experience in government and community organizing to advance civic innovation in Chicago. Whitaker also serves as the Chicago Brigade Captain for Code for America, supporting civic hacking events and teaching a weekly Civic Hacking 101 class. He is a graduate of DePaul University (MPA) and Sam Houston State University (BA, Political Science). Previously, Whitaker served with the US Army in Iraq as a mechanized infantryman.

Jessica Klein, Co-Founder of Rockaway Help

Brooklyn, NY

Together with a group of journalists and residents, civic hacker and designer Jessica Klein co-founded “Rockaway Help” in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Rockaway Help is committed to empowering the community to find solutions for emergency response, preparedness and rebuilding through hyperlocal open news and the development of innovative community-designed technologies. As part of the National Day of Civic Hacking, Jessica lead workshops and hackathons for designers, engineers and Rockaway Beach, New York residents to identify problems and prototype design or technology solutions in the devastated coastal community. Jessica is currently the Creative Lead of the Mozilla Open Badges project where she promotes openness and creativity in formal and informal learning environments and develops ways for learners to design their own unique narrative around their credentials. Jessica created the Hackasaurus project, the Web X-Ray Goggles and Thimble tools to help teens learn how to code through hacking. Over the last decade, she has worked at a variety of institutions dedicated to learning including the Museum of Arts & Design, The Rubin Museum of Art, The Institute of Play, Startl, The Hive and Sesame Workshop. She also founded OceanLab NYC, a project which asked parents, teachers and kids in the NYC community to investigate their urban coastal environment through casual interaction and play.

Caitria O’Neill, Co-Founder of Recovers

San Francisco, CA

Caitria O’Neill is a co-founder of Recovers, a disaster preparedness and recovery technology company in San Francisco. After a tornado struck her hometown, Monson, MA in 2011, Caitria and her sister Morgan worked within their community to connect survivors with local skills and donations. This kind of seat-of-the-pants organizing happens in every neighborhood, after every storm. The Recovers team has turned the best practices of many efforts into a user-friendly tech toolkit for risk mitigation and community response. In less than two years they have helped hundreds of thousands of people find information, aid, and ways to pitch in. Caitria holds a BA in Government from Harvard University, FEMA NIMS/ICS certifications, and was named an Up-and-Coming CEO by Forbes Magazine. Her work has been featured by CNN Opinion, TED.com, and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Steven Clift, Founder of E-Democracy

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Steven Clift is @democracy on Twitter. He launched E-Democracy.org in 1994 and it is the world's first election information website. His “government by day, citizen by night” insights were built as leader of the State of Minnesota's first e-government initiative. He spoke across 30 countries for over a decade from Estonia to Libya to Mongolia on open government and civic participation to support non-partisan,

volunteer-powered efforts for inclusive online local democracy. An Ashoka Fellow, today he is E-Democracy’s Executive Director. He leads a dedicated team with the BeNeighbors.org effort to connect all neighbors online (and off) in public life across race and ethnicity, generations, immigrant and native-born, and more. He lives with his lovely wife and two children in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Gerrie Schipske, Councilwoman on the Long Beach City Council

Long Beach City, CA

Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske is currently serving her second term on the Long Beach City Council. She has championed open, transparent and accountable local government since she took office in 2006 by being the first elected official in Long Beach to disclose their calendar and to communicate daily via blog, email, Facebook and Twitter. In January 2012, she took public education and transparency efforts one step further with her “Open Up Long Beach” initiative and website which provide residents increased access to the city’s every day affairs and documents, and includes opportunities for residents to “ go behind the scenes” of city operations. These efforts were lauded in California Forward’s report: The State of Transparency in California: 2013. Gerrie also brought transparency to the Medical Board of California on which she serves by initiating the requirement that members disclose each meeting any contacts they have had with interested parties. Gerrie earned her JD from Pacific Coast University School of Law, her MA from George Washington University, her BA from University of California, Irvine and her RNP from Harbor UCLA Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner Program. She is the author of three books on the history of Long Beach, California.

Brad Lander, New York City Council Member

Brooklyn, NY

Brad Lander is a New York City Council Member representing Brooklyn’s 39th District, and a leader on issues of affordable housing, livable communities, the environment, and public education. Named one of “Today's Social Justice Heroes” by The Nation magazine, Lander is co-chair of the Council’s Progressive Caucus and was one of the first councilmembers to bring “participatory budgeting” to his district, giving residents the power to decide which projects to support with their tax dollars. Prior to serving in the City Council, Brad directed the Pratt Center for Community Development and the Fifth Avenue Committee, a nationally-recognized community development organization.

Robert Davis, Co-Founder of RadSocial

Cooper City, FL

Robert Davis is a recent marketing graduate from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, FL. His day job consists of managing a social media consultancy for small to medium sized businesses, and at night one can find him at the local maker and hacker spaces around Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Robert is a Code for America intern alumni ('12) and an avid supporter of creating civic tools with open data for the public good. Along with fellow Floridian Cristina Solana, the two created the Florida Bill Tracker, forked from the MinnPost and redeployed to easily track controversial Florida legislation. Robert is also an avid traveler and surfer, and hopes to inspire others to change their world regardless of age or expertise.

Alderman Joe Moore, City of Chicago, 49th Ward

Chicago, IL

Known as a pioneer for political reform, governmental transparency and democratic governance, Joe Moore represents Chicago's 49th Ward, one of the nation's most economically and racially diverse communities. Moore became the first elected official to bring "participatory budgeting" to the United States. Each year, Moore turns over $1 million of his discretionary capital budget to a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making in which his constituents decide through direct vote how to allocate his budget. Moore's participatory budgeting model has since been adopted by four of his Chicago City Council colleagues, as well as city council members in New York City, San Francisco, and Vallejo, California.

Anita Brown-Graham, Director of the Institute for Emerging Issues at NC State University

Raleigh, NC

Anita Brown-Graham is Director of the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) at NC State University, a think-and-do tank focused on tackling big issues that affect North Carolina’s future growth and prosperity. From energy, to fiscal modernization, to improving our systems of higher education, IEI takes the lead in convening state leaders in business, higher education and government to address these issues in a comprehensive, long-term way to prepare the state for future challenges and opportunities. In her role at IEI, Anita led the development of the Emerging Issues Commons, a first of its kind civic engagement tool – both a physical space and an online hub that stands to transform how citizens across the state connect with each other, access information, and take action in the decades to come. Prior to her leadership at IEI, Anita worked as faculty of the School of Government at UNC Chapel Hill for 13 years, training communities in strategic planning to revitalize their distressed rural communities. Her work inspired both rural and urban communities to work together for a better future for the state. Anita is a William C. Friday Fellow, American Marshall Fellow, and Eisenhower Fellow.

Deborah Parker, Tulalip Tribes Vice Chair

Tulalip, WA

Deborah Parker Tsi-Cy-Altsa (Tulalip/Yaqui) was elected to the Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors in 2012. As Vice-Chairwoman, Deborah brings to Tulalip leadership nearly two decades of experience as a policy analyst, program developer, communications specialist, and committed cultural advocate and volunteer in the tribal and surrounding communities. Serving as a Legislative Policy Analyst in the Office of Governmental Affairs for the Tulalip Tribes from 2005-2012, Deborah engaged in the legislative process on behalf of the Tulalip Tribes by providing quality analysis of issues most pertinent to the exercise of sovereignty and tribal governance, with particular emphasis in the areas of education, finance, taxation, and healthcare. Before joining legislative affairs Deborah developed two unique outreach and education programs for the Tulalip Tribes. Young Mothers was a culturally relevant program for teen mothers, and the Tribal Tobacco Program sought to inspire responsible tobacco use among tribal members, while acknowledging tobacco’s sacred place in Indigenous cultures. Prior to her work for the Tulalip Tribes Deborah served as Director of the Residential Healing School of the Tseil-Waututh Nation in Canada, and in the Treaty Taskforce Office of the Lummi Nation, where she was mentored by American Indian leaders such as Joe Delacruz, Billy Frank, Henry Cagey and Jewell James. As a passionate advocate for improved education for tribal members, and a belief in the inherent right of all Native Americans to expect and receive a quality education, one that is free from racial or cultural bias, Deborah is focused on educational reform, which includes developing curriculum that is a true reflection of an Indigenous ethics and knowledge system. Deborah remains committed to education by volunteering her time in the local schools where her children are enrolled. Deborah graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Ethnic Studies and Sociology where she distinguished herself as a scholar and a young Indigenous leader. Deborah lives in Tulalip with her husband Myron Dewey (Paiute/Shoshone) and their five children.