tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54847052218549426342024-03-05T21:30:40.372-08:00Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CAA California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger437125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-25197351163514085062023-09-25T13:26:00.002-07:002023-09-25T13:29:18.476-07:00Safety issues for new PCH developments in Long beach CA - focus on disaster preparedness plan<p>Editor: Eastside Voice asked us to post this email <br /></p><p>From: Eastside Voice<br />To: district3@longbeach.gov <district3@longbeach.gov><br />Cc: Councilmember Mary Zendejas <district1@longbeach.gov>; Councilmember Cindy Allen <district2@longbeach.gov>; Councilman Daryl Supernaw <district4@longbeach.gov>; district5@longbeach.gov <district5@longbeach.gov>; district6@longbeach.gov <district6@longbeach.gov>; district7@longbeach.gov <district7@longbeach.gov>; district8@longbeach.gov <district8@longbeach.gov>; district9@longbeach.gov <district9@longbeach.gov>; mayor@longbeach.gov <mayor@longbeach.gov>; cityclerk@longbeach.gov <cityclerk@longbeach.gov>; citymanager@longbeach.gov <citymanager@longbeach.gov>; Reggie Harrison <reginald.harrison@longbeach.gov>; DENNIS.BUCHANAN@LONGBEACH.GOV <dennis.buchanan@longbeach.gov>; Jeff.Hardin@longbeach.gov <jeff.hardin@longbeach.gov>; Robbie.Grego@longbeach.gov <robbie.grego@longbeach.gov>; Don.Anderson@longbeach.gov <don.anderson@longbeach.gov>; Maura.Ventura@longbeach.gov <maura.ventura@longbeach.gov>; Wally.Hebeish@longbeach.gov <wally.hebeish@longbeach.gov>; Michael.Richens@longbeach.gov <michael.richens@longbeach.gov>; Shaleana.Benson@longbeach.gov <shaleana.benson@longbeach.gov>; Ty.Burford@longbeach.gov <ty.burford@longbeach.gov>; Ruby.Marin-Jordan@longbeach.gov <ruby.marin-jordan@longbeach.gov>; planningcommissioners@longbeach.gov <planningcommissioners@longbeach.gov><br />Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 04:34:34 PM PDT<br />Subject: Safety issues for new PCH developments - focus on disaster preparedness plan<br /> </p><p>Councilmember Duggan, <br />I attended last week's council meeting to speak on the 6615/6695 PCH development plans (agenda item 17. 23-1076). As there were 12 people on the public speaker list, speaking time was shortened to 90 seconds and I was not able to provide my planned testimony on this very important item. I had made the trip to Council to speak on this item as I have grave concerns for safety in this area in the event of an earthquake or other disaster.<br />Safety and entrance/egress in that area in the event of an earthquake or other disaster deserves serious consideration and planning. Can the firetrucks and ambulances get in? Can the residents get out? How do residents connect with city instructions? I talked to the Director of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications Reggie Harrison a few weeks ago and didn't find the conversation encouraging.<br />An EIR would surface the issues. Your comments in the discussion on the appeals were that due diligence had been done when SEASP was going through approvals and the single EIR for the entire SEASP area sufficed. SEASP was approved in 2017. The risks below are approved and pending plans after that EIR was done. These risks were not taken into account in the SEASP EIR.</p><p><br />RISKS INCLUDE<br /> Over 1000 additional housing units planned on PCH close to 2nd street which would increase traffic at the worst rated intersection in Long Beach - 2nd and PCH. - and turn into gridlock in a disaster. (Appeals to the Planning Commission approval for 6615 and 6695 East Pacific Coast Highway were on this agenda but 2 other large developments are also going through approvals). Building heights and density exceed the SEASP plan.</p><p><br /> Plans for Beach Oil Minerals (BOM) to install 120 drilled wells (70 oil wells and 50 water wells) were approved as part of the WETLANDS LANDSWAP. The plan is to drill the wells and run a large pipe on top of the wetlands.carrying millions of gallons of oil. What happens if an earthquake causes the pipe to crack? Might an oil spill and fire ensue?</p><p><br /> The wetlands sit directly on top of the Newport Inglewood fault and surrounded by additional recently discovered fault lines (see attachment for map and link). It isn't a question of "if" an earthquake event will happen - only "when" it will happen and how serious the damage and human cost.<br /> The world's largest Lithium Battery storage facility was approved by Council to be constructed in the area. (editor:<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/6VazD9oNZViGZYso8" target="_blank"> this is where</a> the lithium ion batter facility is now operating) The danger is considerable - with comparisons that it can be equivalent to 2000 lbs of TNT and accidents have occurred at other facilities. "In the short time large battery storage technology has been developed and deployed, a number of disturbing safety concerns have arisen, including fires, explosions and release of toxic gases. There have been over 40 recent accidents associated with lithium-ion battery facilities in the U.S. alone." (see link in references below)<br /> 2 large powerplants are also nearby.</p><p><br />GRIDLOCK AT PCH & 2ND STREET <br /> The only way for Belmont Shore/Naples and other residents in the vicinity to travel south to Orange County, East to the 405 and 605 Freeways is via 2nd Street and PCH. That intersection is has delays on any normal day, let alone in the situation of an emergency or disaster.<br />It took me an hour to get from the Yacht Club Parking lot to 2nd street (about 3 blocks) on July 3rd after the fireworks show. What would happen in an emergency if people were fleeing the area? Reggie Harrison indicated the citizens are not encouraged to leave by car in an emergency situation. Do the citizens know that? He also said Naples has a neighborhood association that has plans for people to leave by boat. Does that include everyone? In an explosion or fire, would everyone else in the vicinity hop on a bicycle? Do they know they need a bicycle? Should they invest in life vests and jump in the water as the survivors did in Maui? <br />I was in Hawaii (Oahu) recently when Maui/Lahaina burned. It was a sobering experience. It made me think of PCH and 2nd street that is at a vortex of the risks listed above. With plans to bring in over 1000 more housing units in the area, the disaster preparedness plan is crucial and important that the residents are aware of the plan.and what they should do in an emergency. <br />Note that the law does not require approval of density bonus applications if there is a safety issue. While the development at 6615/6695 PCH has 390 dwelling units, only 17 of those units are for very low income housing. The minor amount of additional affordable housing does not justify the risk of adding an additional floor. [[Also note that while there are members of the public that believe these housing developments help the homeless, they do not.]]<br />Take heed of what happened in Maui and ensure the safety of Long Beach residents by making solid plans with communication that requires everyone in the vicinity and first responders are trained and know what to do.</p><p><br />Where human safety is concerned, it might be best to err on the side of caution and not be so eager to satisfy a developer's taste for profit. The Council has justification to dial back these developments to at least the limitations of SEASP. </p><p>Respectfully,<br />Corliss Lee<br />Eastside Voice</p><p><a href="https://longbeach.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1120469&GUID=8A1526A8-4C61-46B4-ACA7-3AB354900628" target="_blank">REF: Agenda item 23-1076 Sept 19 2023</a></p><p><a href="https://www.optimumseismic.com/buildings-resilience/new-active-earthquake-faults-found-in-long-beach-and-seal-beach/" target="_blank">New earthquake faults </a><br /> <br /><a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/opinion/close-to-home-slow-down-on-battery-storage-plans-in-petaluma/" target="_blank">Lithium Battery Storage article </a><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-24084319739149589022022-04-22T14:44:00.002-07:002022-04-22T14:45:41.155-07:00City of Long Beach CA: Candidate Forums for Primary Election June 7 2022<p>Long Beach Candidate Forum - Monday April 25th @ 6:00pm<br />Your Los Cerritos Neighborhood Association (LCNA) hosts free Long Beach political forums each election year. This year, we are partnering with the Bixby Knolls and California Heights Neighborhood Associations. <br /> <br />The format is a debate style with predetermined questions by the debate committee.<br />- Expo Arts Building, 4321 Atlantic Avenue<br />* 6:00pm - Meet & Greet<br />* 6:30pm - Council District 5<br />* 7:45pm - City Attorney<br />* 8:20pm - City Auditor<br />* 8:55pm - City Prosecutor</p><p><br />Long Beach Mayoral Candidate Forum - Wednesday April 27th @ 6:00pm<br />Your LCNA hosts free Long Beach political forums each election year. This year, we are partnering with the Bixby Knolls and California Heights Neighborhood Associations. <br /> <br />The format is a debate style with predetermined questions by the debate committee.<br />- Masonic Lodge, 3610 Locust Avenue<br />* 6:00pm - Meet & Greet<br />* 6:30pm - Mayoral Forum<br /> <br /> <br />Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association (LVNA) hosts<br />Long Beach City Council District 5 Candidate Forum</p><p><br />Tuesday May 3, 2022 6:00-8:00 PM<br />Bethany Lutheran Church Gym 5100 Arbor Rd. Long Beach<br />Confirmed Candidate Attendees: <br />Linda Valdez<br />Ian Patton<br />Megan Kerr<br />Jeannine Bedard<br />Potential questions must be submitted by Saturday April 30 to:<br />Lvnaforum@gmail.com</p><p><a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>LBActionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16522659467003144313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-64378344785643669962021-09-13T17:10:00.002-07:002021-09-13T17:10:58.618-07:00Dangerous condition on Long Beach bike path: Lime scooter box on Carson bike path at SW corner with Palo Verde<p>So the email below had to be posted to remain true to our word and for public safety. I hope this scooter box gets moved before scooters get put in it. Stay tuned...</p><p><br /></p><p><span class="gmail_default" style="font-size: large;"></span>From: <b class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Long Beach Accountability Action Group</b> <span dir="auto"><updates@laag.us></span><br />Date: Mon, Sep 13, 2021 at 4:57 PM<br />Subject: Lime scooter box on Carson bike path at SW corner with Palo verde<br />To:
Public Works Long Beach Transportation Mobility Bureau
<goactivelb@longbeach.gov>, Tom Modica city manager Long beach
<citymanager@longbeach.gov>, Tony Cruz Community Programs
Specialist V | Public Works long beach <Tony.Cruz@longbeach.gov>,
Eric Lopez | Dir. Pub Works Long beach <eric.lopez@longbeach.gov>,
Carl Hickman manager | Transportation Mobility Bureau long beach public
works <Carl.Hickman@longbeach.gov>, City attorney long beach
general email <cityattorney@longbeach.gov>, Charles Parkin City
Atty Long beach <charles.parkin@longbeach.gov><br />Cc:
<support@li.me>, Robert Garcia Mayor | City of Long beach
<mayor@longbeach.gov>, Stacy Mungo Councilwoman City of Long
Beach, 5th District <stacy.mungo@longbeach.gov><br /><br /><br /></p><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size: large;">So
I leave for a few days and come back and see this scooter box painted
on the bike path while I was gone. No scooters in it yet but I'm sure
they are on the way. Once again Public Works never fails to disappoint.
Who ever at the city (if anyone) decided to place this "scooter parking
space" right on the middle of the bike path on a blind corner (see map <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://goo.gl/maps/mDu4XwY4y4kzNyaSA&source=gmail&ust=1631663895203000&usg=AFQjCNF08TL3U3qjiepdbhSJ02rvUYNrpA" href="https://goo.gl/maps/mDu4XwY4y4kzNyaSA" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/maps/<wbr></wbr>mDu4XwY4y4kzNyaSA</a> ) needs to be transferred away from any tasks having to do with bikes or bike paths. Pics are here <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://photos.app.goo.gl/zwYhKxvbGgQcGRmF7&source=gmail&ust=1631663895203000&usg=AFQjCNGBlHzvOELAXC7c9s33DDYmA6WRbQ" href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/zwYhKxvbGgQcGRmF7" target="_blank">https://photos.app.goo.gl/<wbr></wbr>zwYhKxvbGgQcGRmF7</a>
I can think of no worse place to put this parking spot other than say
middle of carson st. What are you people thinking? Why don't you ever
listen to people that ride these paths? Why do you insist on using
people to design these types of things that apparently have either never
ridden a bike on this path or ever gone out to look at it. This
tree/bush in the drainage channel needs to be removed.
It was not planted there and is a weed. otherwise it needs to be trimmed
monthly.
In the pics above it is "moderately trimmed" I have better pictures of
it not trimmed. You can't see around it so everyone will just ride right
into the parked scooters. The tree was not enough of a hazard. you had
to put the scooter box in the perfect place to have people collide with
10 parked scooters when trying to avoid dogs, roller bladers, other
bikes and 15 other hazards on that blind corner. I am going to post this
entire email on the web so that when someone gets injured due to the
placement of the box they will know who made the decision and when and
that the city was told it was creating a dangerous condition. Lime is on
notice as well as I'm sure their excuse is "the city told us to put it
there". The only thing that gets any attention in this city is lawsuits
or threats of them that's it. Much like the ADA lawsuit on the
sidewalks. they get curb cuts but as for 45 degree slopes on sidewalks
due to tree roots ..nope. I read this and just shook my head. I really
don't know how you guys look yourselves in the mirror everyday <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://lbpost.com/news/with-billions-in-backlogged-work-long-beach-could-look-to-bonds-to-fix-city-streets&source=gmail&ust=1631663895203000&usg=AFQjCNGtCA5EMMFJUx4UJQEg2bVENN5DWw" href="https://lbpost.com/news/with-billions-in-backlogged-work-long-beach-could-look-to-bonds-to-fix-city-streets" target="_blank">https://lbpost.com/news/with-<wbr></wbr>billions-in-backlogged-work-<wbr></wbr>long-beach-could-look-to-<wbr></wbr>bonds-to-fix-city-streets</a></div><div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><br /></div><div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><b>Long Beach Accountability Action Group "LAAG"</b></span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: xx-small;">A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><a href="mailto:updates@laag.us" target="_blank">updates@laag.us</a> | voice 562-726-3047</span><br /></div><div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.laag.us&source=gmail&ust=1631663895203000&usg=AFQjCNG4P3brrbQs2l0xrlTdBhWkE_w71g" href="http://www.laag.us" target="_blank">main LAAG website</a> | LAAG on <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/laagus&source=gmail&ust=1631663895203000&usg=AFQjCNH4Dklf8HQZgn2ygN_b1-9wVDzkiw" href="https://twitter.com/laagus" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: xx-small;">"The most important political office is that of the private citizen". - Louis D. Brandeis <br /><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: x-small;">read the LAAG Privacy Notice <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.laag.us/2007/02/laag-privacy-policy.html&source=gmail&ust=1631663895203000&usg=AFQjCNFBFPJysUS3KVzfTuNQiVb-7lczKQ" href="http://www.laag.us/2007/02/laag-privacy-policy.html" target="_blank">here</a> and our Mission Statement <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.laag.us/2006/10/laag-mission-statement.html&source=gmail&ust=1631663895203000&usg=AFQjCNFaTUDolpII5WjRe917RmlBAm4uhg" href="http://www.laag.us/2006/10/laag-mission-statement.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /></span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: x-small;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal">NOTICE TO PUBLIC AGENCY/ENTITY RECIPIENTS: This email
constitutes a "public record" under Govt. code sec. 6252(e) and (g)
regardless of the system upon which it is stored or email address it is
addressed to and must be archived and produced in public records requests to
the "public agency" to which it has been sent. There is a duty to
preserve and not destroy this communication and related email and or
attachments per Govt. Code secs. 6200, 6201, 34090 and 34090.5. Public
officials must retain all records related to public business, even when the
records only exist on personal accounts and devices. City of San Jose v. Superior Court (2017) 2 Cal.5th
608. This email also establishes "actual" or "constructive"
notice of any condition noted in this email to any "public entity"
receiving it (see Govt. code sec. 835.2). </p>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p>end of email<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-14910841365018778342020-09-19T13:28:00.004-07:002020-10-16T17:29:32.566-07:00Fourth fire that we know (heard) of at Eldorado Park Nature center (September 18 2020)<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Update 10/16/20.</b>.. So guess where this homeless guy was. Likely right next to the nature center <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/aFg46k2wCQ2NSuSv7" target="_blank">here</a> And with a gun no less. Nice. Here is the <a href="https://patch.com/california/losalamitos/sigalert-armed-suspect-sought-los-alamitos-605-sb-shut-down" target="_blank">story link</a><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Update 9/18/20</b>: We just saw this <a href="https://lbpost.com/news/city/firefighters-knock-down-small-fire-at-el-dorado-nature-center" target="_blank">short snippet in the Post</a> giving a brief description of a fire likely set by homeless once again on Sept 18, 2020. All the story says is below: <br /></span></span></p><div class="col-md-10 article-outer">
<div class="row d-md-block h-100">
<div class="col-md-8 float-left">
<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;">"The Long Beach Fire Department extinguished a brush fire at the El
Dorado Nature Center Friday afternoon, according to LBFD spokesman Brian
Fisk. Fisk said the department responded to the blaze at 1:13 p.m. just
west of the San Gabriel River bike path between Willow and Spring
streets. The fire burned about 200 square feet of vegetation, said Fisk. Arson investigators were called afterward to investigate the cause of the fire, Fisk said."</span></span></p></div><div class="col-md-8 float-left">
</div>
</div>
</div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;">We are pretty sure we will never see the arson report. Even if one is ever created (which we doubt) and we were to request it in a public records request we are confident it would not ever be produced. So why bother.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;">The city leaders have been warned numerous times about the homeless on the river and their propensity to start fires in the adjoining nature center. And LAAG is told all is well and under control. This email was sent 7 days before this latest fire on Sept. 18. So the only conclusions one can draw is that city leaders and dept leaders such as the FD, Parks Dept. Park "Rangers" and City Council are (1) incompetent and cant solve the problem (2) don't care enough to solve the problem or (3) just try to placate residents with BS. A few days after that email below was sent we saw three county vehicles driving toward the fence holes created by the FD in fighting the <a href="https://www.laag.us/2020/08/third-fire-that-we-know-of-at-eldorado.html" target="_blank">August 12 2020 fire </a>and were told they were going to fix it that day. Never happened. Eventually there is going to be a fire that wipes out the Nature Center or does serious damage. That will happen as long as the status quo is allowed to exist and <span style="font-family: arial;">political correctness reigns supreme.<br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>UPDATE 9/23/20: Apparently homeless just like to light stuff on fire or are just careless..</b>. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Los Angeles County firefighters quickly extinguished a brush fire that started in a homeless encampment near Spring Street and the 405 Freeway in Signal Hill on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. Firefighters rushed to the scene at about 2:18 p.m. with reports of a homeless encampment on fire, a county fire department spokesperson said. No one was injured in the fire and the department is now investigating the cause, they said. The fire caused a brief traffic jam on the 405 Freeway, witnesses reported. Avoid 405 S in Long Beach, big fire at the Orange exit <a href="http://pic.twitter.com/3KMjcXRapT">pic.twitter.com/3KMjcXRapT</a><br /> — Mike Guardabascio (@Guardabascio) September 22, 2020</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="gmail_default"></span>From: <b class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Long Beach Accountability Action Group</b> <span dir="auto"><updates@laag.us></span></span></span><br />Date: Fri, Sep 11, 2020 at 12:13 AM<br />Subject: "homeless problem in Eldorado Nature center is solved" (NOT)<br />To: Daryl Supernaw Councilman 4th Dist. Long beach <Daryl.Supernaw@longbeach.gov>, District 4th long beach Supernaw <district4@longbeach.gov><br />Cc: Stephen Scott | Dep Dir Parks, Rec, and Marine Long beach <Stephen.Scott@longbeach.gov>, BRENT DENNIS Dir of Parks, Recreation and Marine Long beach <brent.dennis@longbeach.gov><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I just want to go on record with my conversation with a bunch of city people and LB FD people on the river trail just south of Spring st. on Sept. 8 2020. I was told by the FD honcho that the "homeless problem in Eldorado Nature center is solved" (of course no one told the homeless) I explained that the fence torn down by the FD <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.laag.us/2020/08/third-fire-that-we-know-of-at-eldorado.html&source=gmail&ust=1600620171247000&usg=AFQjCNGCwIFhwvpsxaNEZNZpGvTw_ILvKQ" href="https://www.laag.us/2020/08/third-fire-that-we-know-of-at-eldorado.html" target="_blank">in the fire 30 days ago</a> is still not fixed. The point is the homeless will go back into the nature center and start another fire. It will happen. For two reasons 1) its not being patrolled adequately as rangers in SUV's can't see everything from the SUV window esp at night 2) all the homeless in the adjacent riverbed. why not go camping in the nature area and cook up some crack out of sight of the "man"? its too easy.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Get the homeless off the river and into shelters. Dont give them a choice like you do now. its a no trespassing area. Boise case does NOT apply.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">keep all the fences all around the nature center fixed. patrol that fence monthly. We call that "ridin' fences" in the west. good fences make good neighbors<br clear="all" /></span></span></div><div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><p><a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
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</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-57011348632292530392020-09-06T16:14:00.001-07:002020-09-07T15:53:43.100-07:00Why the budget and the budget process is broken in Long Beach California<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-e1bbca23-7fff-21c8-f5a2-1cb93c651d15" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-e1bbca23-7fff-21c8-f5a2-1cb93c651d15" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As there is yet another budget hearing coming up in Long Beach on <a href="https://longbeach.legistar.com/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=2527&GUID=B4EC104A-540B-4839-960E-477CA880FA22" target="_blank">September 8 2020 </a>we thought we would use our blog post as our comments. <b>Get them into cityclerk@longbeach.gov before noon 9/7/20.</b> Heaven knows these <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/WusDyts5q7xVixd58" target="_blank">"Citywide Community budget meetings" </a>were a waste of everyone's time.(which we also had to pay city staffers for as we are taxpayers)</span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-e1bbca23-7fff-21c8-f5a2-1cb93c651d15" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-e1bbca23-7fff-21c8-f5a2-1cb93c651d15" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Long Beach is currently in a budget crisis brought about mainly because of the covid-19 crisis. Of course it's a double whammy situation where the city spent more money than it had on emergency type services and as a result overpaid for these services (which were under delivered or did not provide much value) For example there were tons of private Labs that were being paid a very costly premium for test results that were being delivered seven and eight days after the test. Anyone that knows anything about testing said that's completely worthless. Any test result delivered after 48 hours should never have been paid for but of course government never demands that kind of accountability from private contractors.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-e1bbca23-7fff-21c8-f5a2-1cb93c651d15" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On top of that because of the economic crisis and less sales tax is being generated we have a double whammy. So now it appears the most local entities are waiting for the state to get a windfall of money from the federal government who of course can print money regardless of its deficit. State and local governments can't print money but they use other budget shenanigans and tricks to make it look like the budget gets “balanced” every year.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unlike Lakewood which is mostly a contract City Long Beach tries to provide most services through employees that are employed by the city. This is horrendously cost inefficient because these costs are fixed. Once these people are hired they are basically never fired and you have to pay for their pensions, healthcare vacation and other costs basically as long as they're alive and they are usually very costly employees. The more costly employees are the ones that work in the office and shuffle paper and get very little done in terms of infrastructure and repairs.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition there are a number of things that Long Beach claims it has to purchase and it does a very bad job in negotiating good prices. Here are two examples. City spends <a href="http://longbeach.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?From=Alert&ID=4612185&GUID=1C7F079D-662E-4F1A-9A6F-210325666CF1&Options=ID%7CText%7C&Search=budget" target="_blank">$372,327</a> on TWO Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD trucks</span><a href="http://longbeach.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?From=Alert&ID=4612185&GUID=1C7F079D-662E-4F1A-9A6F-210325666CF1&Options=ID%7CText%7C&Search=budget&fbclid=IwAR3_LUjkwYHs0_9lnZvmkgObp6pVsgtKeiQAgKgiDBFaryb3ZqbdTR5b2ug" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD start at $34,600)</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> AND <a href="http://longbeach.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?From=Alert&ID=4601800&GUID=1FEA922F-A3B1-4405-886C-6CEE771B795E&Options=ID%7CText%7C&Search=budget" target="_blank">$539,331</a> on TWO CNG-fueled 2021 Freightliner M2112 pothole patch trucks, (LB apparently patches so many streets that we need two new trucks?)</span><a href="http://longbeach.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?From=Alert&ID=4601800&GUID=1FEA922F-A3B1-4405-886C-6CEE771B795E&Options=ID%7CText%7C&Search=budget&fbclid=IwAR3_LUjkwYHs0_9lnZvmkgObp6pVsgtKeiQAgKgiDBFaryb3ZqbdTR5b2ug" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who negotiated these prices for these trucks and why are we buying something NEW that's so expensive right now during a budget crisis? Do we have to have these trucks right now? Are we selling off the used trucks are we trading them in what are we getting for them? These questions are never asked and never presented in the budget or any publicly disseminated documents. As for the pothole trucks no needs were spelled out. Zero. You want them Public Works Dept you got them! No questions asked.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then you look at outside contracting for services and you have a similar problem. Really no transparency at all in terms of how many hours of time you're getting the hourly rate or bonuses being paid, overhead being paid how many hours of services are you being provided with, what specific tasks are going to be completed etc. Here is a recent example:” a fourth amendment to Contract No. 34265 with West Coast Arborists, Inc., of Anaheim, CA, for as-needed tree trimming services, to extend the term through March 31, 2021, and increase the amount by $3,400,000, for a revised total amount not to exceed <a href="http://longbeach.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?From=Alert&ID=4612207&GUID=32779C95-B34E-4027-B0C1-DA4442622312&Options=ID%7CText%7C&Search=budget " target="_blank">$11,340,000</a>. (Citywide)” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So taxpayers are paying almost 11.5 million dollars for tree trimming but there's really not much of an indication as to what exactly were going to get for that. Even if you assume that these people are being paid $15 an hour and you do the math that gives us about 59 hours a day of tree trimming assuming 2080 hours per year working time at 8 hours per day 5 days a week. But again this says “as needed” (determined by who?). So that might mean that no trees are being trimmed or half the amount. Again clear as mud.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contract costs are too high because I assume the city relies on “low bid”. The city should be setting the maximum contract prices with bonuses for early completion. The city should be setting a (realistic low ball) maximum amount for these contracts before the bids ever come in. We also have to assume that there are multiple bids coming in on these projects and I doubt that seriously. My suspicion is certain favorite companies that contribute to campaigns are invited to submit a bid with a wink knowing that these bids are going to get selected because they're the only bid that's being made. Again the city should set a maximum price for an amount of service and then provide some sort of incentives for early completion or other types of Contract objectives that can be objectively verified.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With respect to labor provided by city employees of course the picture is much more grim. There really is no way to significantly reduce the costs of employee labor. This is why City employees should be rarely hired and outside contractors should be used because it's much easier to control costs over time when you have a budget problem. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Police Department and the fire department are classic examples of the two costliest groups of city employees. Lawsuit settlements due to police shootings and arrests are not helpful either. These depts are heavily unionized and the unions control all labor activity and contract negotiations.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were recently told that the city is budgeting $200,000 per police officer. (That does not include the cost of special units K-9 units, bomb units, helicopters all sorts of special Patrol units, management, office staff, vehicle costs etc) Of course the best way to do the math is to take the total police budget of about 264 million and divided by the number of sworn officers which is about 792 which gives you about $333,000 per year per officer. Now to make matters worse because of the BLM protests and other Union Shenanigans we are now in a situation where every car has to have two officers so we've cut the number of cars in half and so we're spending anywhere between $400,000 to $650,000 a year for each police vehicle you see driving around on patrol. What's even better with police and fire is they tend to start work at age 25 to 26 or later and then they retire at 50 and their retirement income is at least the highest amount they've ever been paid in their lives. That continues on until they die and also includes Healthcare and a bunch of other cost-of-living perks so you can see how this adds up when you're paying for hundreds and hundreds of officers that don't even work for you anymore. And you're paying for them at a much higher rate than you are for officers currently patrolling the streets. Eventually this house of cards is going to collapse.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are no efficiency studies being done by people that don't curry favor with the unions or with the city. All the efficiency studies are done by the departments themselves or by those individuals that pass muster with the union. Apparently because the fire department is so popular in Long Beach in terms of public polling they basically came back and said we're not cutting our budget at all for 2021…. so take that City Council. The fire department and the police department are probably the least cost-efficient agencies in the city and use up the most tax money. For example the whole privatization of ambulance services in Long Beach has never been realistically looked at. The reason of course is if you do that you will lose union jobs and give jobs to private companies which cost less. With respect to the the police department they're finally starting to get smart and realizing that they have to have more civilian staff to do a lot of the functions within the department that don't require sworn police officers. (de-fund protests no doubt helping that argument) This is just an example of the stupidity and <a href="https://www.lbreport.com/news/mar19/firework.htm" target="_blank">union nonsense</a> involved when trying to get even simple things done like the administrative enforcement Lakewood did with respect to fireworks.</span><a href="https://www.lbreport.com/news/mar19/firework.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another budget-busting problem we have is that a relatively small percentage of the payroll of city employees is too low for those that actually hold shovels versus those that shuffle paper and the paper shufflers in the people in the office tend to cost even more money that other low level worker bee employees This is likely the reason why it takes so long for potholes to get filled and sidewalks to get fixed; there's not enough people actually doing the work.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another problem with the budget is that the airport revenue/fines and the oil revenue, and the port that money is not being allocated wisely. It's typically trapped in a way that keeps it within the particular Department that it comes from. Fix that.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An ongoing problem with infrastructure ( potholes streets sidewalks bike paths trees parks and other sorts of things) is these were all created many years ago when labor was cheap but there were never any budgets created to support the maintenance of these items and the bills are coming due on almost all of these things especially sewers electricity and water supply. The new money is all allocated for all new projects which get federal and state funding but none of that money is ever allocated or can be allocated towards the maintenance of these projects for 20 or 30 years in the future. Bad idea as it leads to where we are now.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The city spends its time chasing objectives of Sacramento. Not enough of our budget is spent on core infrastructure needs. Too much of it is spent on socialism and other pet projects of administrations. The city received budget funding to create “open streets” for covid yet when it did neighborhood surveys no one wanted the streets to be blocked off from vehicles so the children can play in the streets only to be run over by local delivery trucks. But that money comes with strings attached and you have to spend it on things voters dont want. Much of our budget is being allocated to social projects and not for infrastructure and this loss of focus is responsible for the problem with the infrastructure.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The budget process has very little transparency and taxpayers are never given a seat at the table when Union contracts and other issues are negotiated. There are very few people that could take a look at the current <a href="http://www.longbeach.gov/finance/city-budget-and-finances/budget/budget-information/ " target="_blank">146 page page proposed budget document</a> </span><a href="http://www.longbeach.gov/finance/city-budget-and-finances/budget/budget-information/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and make heads or tails of any of these issues raised above and most don't even care to do it. Most rely of course on their city council member to fight for their objectives. And we see how well that has worked out. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The budget itself is very obscure and does not provide taxpayers with a clear picture of cost increases cost allocations what goes for health care what goes for pensions what goes for office workers what goes for actual people that perform labor for the city. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally we need to stop penalizing departments for not spending all their budget. They need to be rewarded for not spending all their budget on frivolous matters such as new vehicles. Unfortunately many of these things are going to take many years to change. California as a whole is running out of money and that includes all of their cities. Cities are still allowed to file bankruptcy (states are not) and a number of cities in California have filed bankruptcy including Stockton. <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-13/stockton-defund-police-reform-bankruptcy-george-floyd" target="_blank">In that case the bankruptcy actually helped Stockton </a>to “de-fund” (reduce funding to) their police department and rethink how they look at public safety. "House Democrats included nearly $1 trillion in state and local aid in the relief bill they passed in May, but the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, has said he doesn’t want to hand out a “blank check” to pay for what he considers <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/business/state-budgets-coronavirus-aid.html" target="_blank">fiscal mismanagement, including the enormous public-pension obligations </a>some states have accrued. There has been little movement in that stalemate lately."</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The reason we have a budget problem is the city is using "other people's money" (yours and mine) and they dont give a damn. Their “solution” to all problems is to shovel more money into the trough (Like Measure A...<a href="http://eepurl.com/g7YBbn" target="_blank">how is that vote tally suit going?</a> </span><a href="http://eepurl.com/g7YBbn" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). At the end of the day it's not really their problem they're going to continue to get paid for going to work, continue to get their nearly free health care, and they're going to continue to get their<a href="https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2019/long-beach/" target="_blank"> ludicrously costly pensions</a>. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Meanwhile city services and infrastructure spending will just crawl to a complete standstill and our city will decay even further. Until people show up at City Hall with “pitchforks and torches” this is not going to change. The only thing that will really make any difference is to elect a majority of the city council to come in from outside city government not feeding from the trough (real outsiders). They will have to take a hard look from the outside as to how the budget is going to have to work going forward into these very lean years which we are going to be facing for the next 5 to 10 years most likely ( assuming continued fires, floods, climate change, power outages, disasters, earthquakes, pandemics Etc) California is almost in a constant state of emergency now. Long Beach is in the same situation. It's on life support.</span> <br /></p></b> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
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</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-79547715792684061792020-08-23T13:33:00.010-07:002020-10-12T17:50:36.705-07:00Vote by Mail (non USPS) ballot drop boxes and other LA County vote by mail info for the November 3 2020 election (specifically 90808 Long Beach info)<p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>UPDATE 10/11/20: </b>Beware of fake drop boxes for ballots at churches no less. See that story <a href="https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/10/10/unofficial-ballot-drop-box-appears-in-front-of-baptist-church-in-canyon-country/" target="_blank">here</a>. Only drop into boxes that look like <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/u3onmWnRJLiUPB4CA" target="_blank">this</a>. Really GOP..<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-fresno-elections-california-santa-ana-be803bfe99f5eb35e17a6ee56315deb0" target="_blank">really</a>?<b><br /></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>UPDATE 10/10/20: </b>We spoke to a county worker collecting ballots at the Heartwell park county ballot drop box located below in the original post. Collections will happen 7 days a week at least once per day thru Nov 3 @ 8pm. So drop away. <b><br /></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>UPDATE 10/2/20: </b>Today via US Mail I received my actual ballot. My Fiancee did not. Everything else from the county we get at the same time. Also Jeffrey Pransky | Election Operations Bureau Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk,<br />finally responded to our questions via email (we did not see this information anywhere on <a href="https://www.lavote.net/home/voting-elections/current-elections/find-my-election-information" target="_blank">their website</a> so we are providing it below)<br /></span></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LAAG's Questions:</span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So there are two ways (<a href="https://www.lavote.net/av_inquiry" target="_blank">county system</a> and <a href="https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/" target="_blank">state system</a>) to track your ballots return to your office. but how do voters know if their ballot is actually counted? The ballot tracking does not tell you that and that's actually more important.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We assume the ballot tracking methods also work if we dot use US mail...that is we drop them off at polling place or in the country drop boxes?<br /> <br />Also if voters ballot is not counted will they be notified in enough time to fix the alleged error? Is it possible that they can fix the error after Nov 3 2020?<br /> <br />How will voters be notified to make the correction? phone, email or US mail?</span></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Answers from </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Jeffrey Pransky | Election Operations Bureau: </span></span></span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">You will receive a message saying your ballot is on its way when your Vote By Mail packet is delivered to the US Postal Service. Ballots (with the exception of ballots for Military and Overseas voters) which have not yet been mailed to voters.<br /> <br />9/24 - Through the <a href="https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/" target="_blank">State Ballot Tracking system “Where’s My Ballot?”</a> you will receive one of three possible notifications when the ballot is received and processed by our office – this notification will come whether you return it in-person at a vote center, by mail, or by drop box.<br /> i. Ballot Accepted (meaning we have received and counted your ballot)<br /> ii. Ballot Rejected (we have received your ballot but it will not be counted)<br /> iii. Ballot Rejected but Curable (your ballot is currently rejected, but may be counted if we receive more information).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">You will be mailed the appropriate form to “cure” your ballot with a postage-paid return envelope. If you do not wish to mail the cure form back, you also have the option of returning it either in-person by Election Day to a Drop Box or Vote Center, or later by fax or email. You may also call our office and we will indicate which form you can download from our website, fill out and return to us. The deadline to return a cure form is November 28, 2020. </span></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>UPDATE 9/25/20</b>: today we received via USPS our "official sample ballot" of 32 pages..but don't get excited yet. On the front it says "All registered voters will receive a vote by mail ballot". So this is mostly trash. Also got the 110 page voter information guide 2 days ago. Read that <a href="https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2020/general/pdf/complete-vig.pdf" target="_blank">here</a> ...but to get all the full text of all the propositions go <a href="https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/" target="_blank">here</a> ...very lame they don't point that out clearly. Apparently not enough space in voter booklet to put the full text but for Prop 14.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Original Post: </b><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So everyone can calm down now. Turns out in LA county we don't really need the post office that much to <b>return</b> vote by mail ballots. (post office still needed to get the ballot to you and for those people that cant get to these drop boxes or a polling place)[UPDATE: 9/11/20 the post office just <a href="https://about.usps.com/what/government-services/election-mail/" target="_blank">sent this link</a> to us today.] There will be 300+ of these vote by "mail" drop boxes throughout LA county. (And of course you can still walk in and drop off any ballots to any polling place/Vote Center in LA county as well; all the <a href="https://locator.lavote.net/locations/vc/" target="_blank">vote center locations and days/hrs of operation map</a>) I happened to see one (<a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/u3onmWnRJLiUPB4CA" target="_blank">picture</a>) in Heartwell Park today located <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/GYsKNFETspgPCSh19" target="_blank">here</a>. It was locked (as of Aug 23 2020) not allowing anything to be deposited. I am assuming that Postal Workers will NOT be collecting ballots from these drop boxes but rather LA County poll workers. Apparently the map of the 300 LA County drop box locations will be made available 30 days before the Nov 3 2020 election. What is not clear when these will be unlocked allowing you to deposit your ballot nor is it clear how often these will be checked for ballots.(I assume they will be unlocked soon after ballots are mailed out or or about Oct 5 2020 and will be checked daily after that date) They will close or last be collected at 8pm on election night Nov 3 (barring some catastrophe). This will be the link (live Oct. 2) to a <a href="https://locator.lavote.net/locations/vbm/" target="_blank">map with where all the boxes will be located within LA county.<br /></a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">After returning your voted ballot via Drop Box (or by mail or walking it in to a vote center) you can check on line to make sure it was received and tallied through the county's <a href="https://www.lavote.net/av_inquiry" target="_blank">Vote by Mail Status Tool</a>. This tool will be available 30 days prior to Election Day. There is also another method provided by the state of California: <a href="https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/" target="_blank">Ballottrax.</a> Why there are two methods is unclear. I guess to add more confusion to the already confusing process.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As I was curious (and because this information was not posted anywhere on the web two weeks ago) I asked LA county when the "vote by mail" (and or "absentee") ballots would be mailed out to voters and they told me (via this email <i>VoteByMail@rrcc.lacounty.gov</i> ) that they would be mailed out on <b>Oct. 5, 2020.</b> So If you don't get yours (in the US mail) within a week of that date you better take matters into your own hands and get a ballot. <a href="https://www.lavote.net/home/voting-elections/voter-education/what-to-do-before-an-election/register-to-vote" target="_blank">Start here.</a> If you don't receive one in the mail the first thing to do is <a href="https://www.lavote.net/vrstatus" target="_blank">check to see you are registered to vote in LA County.</a> </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">You can use the <a href="https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/" target="_blank">state of CA site</a> to see if you are registered to vote in any county and it will tell you which county. The deadline for registering <b>by mail </b>to vote is (postmarked by) <b>Monday, October 19, 2020</b> You MUST register to vote in LA county in order to be eligible to vote in LA county in the Nov 2020 election.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The deadline to register in person to vote IN PERSON AT A POLLING PLACE in CA is election day Tuesday, November 3,
2020. <b>Conditional voter registration</b> is a safety net for Californians
who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter
registration information. Voters can use the conditional voter
registration process from the day after the mail registration deadline (Oct 19, 2020) all the way through
Election Day. Finding a polling place (now called "vote centers") is also relatively simple. <a href="https://locator.lavote.net/locations/vc" target="_blank">Just go here</a> after Oct 4 2020. Unlike prior years any LA county resident can vote or register in ANY LA county vote center regardless of your residence location (as long as its in LA county.)<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Also this election (Nov 2020) the state will be ensuring that all <b>registered voters </b>in all 58 counties are mailed a "mail in/drop off" ballot (regardless if they were permanent absentee, occasional absentee or some other vote by mail category) This was part <span style="font-family: helvetica;">of </span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The <a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voters-choice-act/" target="_blank">California Voter’s Choice Act</a> passed in 2016. But </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">for Nov 2020 due to the covid 19 pandemic the timeline was moved up</span> to include all California counties, not just LA county and a few others.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We noted this bit of info that is also helpful with respect to absentee or mail in ballots in CA:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">California does not require a copy of your ID in the ballot and a Notary or Witness Signatures on Return Envelope is NOT Required.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As for how Absentee Ballots Are Verified <a href="http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=ELEC&sectionNum=3019." target="_blank">CA elections code 3019 </a>is applicable which in summary says upon receipt of a vote-by-mail ballot, the elections official compares the signature on the identification envelope with either of the following to determine if the signatures compare: (1) The signature appearing on the voter's affidavit of registration or any previous affidavit of registration of the voter. (2) The signature appearing on a form issued by an elections official that contains the voter's signature and that is part of the voter's registration record. If upon conducting the comparison of signatures pursuant to subdivision (a) the elections official determines that the signatures do not compare, the identification envelope shall not be opened and the ballot shall not be counted. The cause of the rejection shall be written on the face of the identification envelope. Voters are given the opportunity to verify their signatures before the election is certified for their ballots to be counted. </span></span><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
<a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=LakewoodAccountabilityActionGroupLaagWwwlaagusLakewoodCa" target="_blank">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a>
</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-32037194420502759892020-08-13T14:41:00.006-07:002020-08-15T10:38:38.927-07:00Third fire (that we know of) at the Eldorado park nature center August 12 2020<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So here we are once again reporting on a fire at the El Dorado nature center on August 12, 2020 (approx 445pm). <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/zfdaaxzRvSe5bppW7" target="_blank">Pictures here</a>. LB fire tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/LBFD/status/1293714628808019968" target="_blank">here</a>. The fire was <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/WvWRE849jAmVCvUm6" target="_blank">in this approx location</a>. When we spoke to the LB Park Ranger on scene blocking the southbound bike path at Spring St. we asked if this fire was due to homeless activity in the nature Center and he said "most likely". The two prior fires were <a href="https://www.laag.us/2019/04/there-was-ample-warning-given-to-city.html" target="_blank">April 3 2019 </a>and <a href="https://www.laag.us/2019/06/now-with-seond-fire-on-june-19-2019-at.html" target="_blank">June 19 1019</a> that WE KNOW of and there have most likely been others that were never picked up by the media (like this one). Long Beach city staff and Long beach city council (Mungo and Supernaw; <b>the nature center in Supernaw's district; north of spring St Eldlorado park is in Mungo's dist.)</b> are well aware of the problem (we raised the fencing problem and potential fires in the nature center as far back as Dec 2017 with Mungo and Supernaw as well as city Manager) and we were led to believe that Supernaw's office was going to develop some secret plan with LB Fire dept to fix the issue in the nature center.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The nature center (the <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/3TLCLhTgUxeJBLhS7" target="_blank">restricted area here</a>) is a very problematic area for fires. It is filled with brush and hundreds of very dry trees. It is very hard to access (being a no trespassing area) and in previous larger fires water dropping helicopters had to assist. There are also no hydrants in the area and fences usually have to be cut by the FD to access the area (as was done yesterday) these of course are left unpaired for months on end. So all we need for an out of control fire is lots of dry conditions (8 mo out of the year) and wind. That could cause the entire nature center to go up in smoke. Highly feasible if conditions are right and FD response is delayed to to slow reporting (likely).<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So other than complete inaction (ineffectual action) by the city council what are the causes and solutions?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The homeless problem (the criminal element parts of it at least) on SG River and in the area of the nature center is well known. We suspect the LB park rangers and LBPD have been told to leave them alone (based on discussions we have had on this topic with officers). Part of the reason we feel the city takes a "hands off approach" is that not a lot of people (voters) can see the problem on the river and in the nature center as its very well hidden from everyone's view except for the few people who live very close, or walk, run or bike ride on the river path. So the city leaders would just as soon leave the homeless there than chase them over to in a visible are on the street that more voters will see (and demand be fixed).<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The city (and county) use the Boise case (<i>Martin v. City of Boise, 902 F. 3d 1031 - Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit 2018</i>) to try to excuse their politically correct stance on the homeless criminal element that are living in NO TRESPASSING areas. The Boise case says nothing about removing people from and keeping people out of no trespassing areas. It simply holds as follows:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">"Our
holding is a narrow one. Like the Jones panel, "we in no way dictate to
the City that it must provide sufficient shelter for the homeless, or allow
anyone who wishes to sit, lie, or sleep<b> on the streets</b>... at any time and at
any place." Id.
at 1138. We hold only that "so long as there is a greater number of
homeless individuals in [a jurisdiction] than the number of available beds [in
shelters]," the jurisdiction <b>cannot prosecute homeless individuals for
"involuntarily sitting, lying, and sleeping in public</b>." Id. That is, as long as
there is no option of sleeping indoors, the government cannot criminalize
indigent, homeless people for sleeping outdoors, <b>on public property,</b> on the
false premise they had a choice in the matter."</span></span></span></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The city and county will have to commit to keeping all the fencing repaired in that area. They know areas with cut fencing is a sign that homeless are in a no trespassing area but they then refuse to remove them and until removed the fence will keep getting cut. The city and county need to commit to a homeless trespassing removal program and a fencing check/repair program. They likely wont do it. Its not a budget issue its simply an issue of unwillingness to actively solving the problem. Could also be a problem with public unions not wanting to do the work (can never rule out public union pressure when extra work required; public unions are big campaign contributors as well). The other excuse now being thrown around is "covid 19" ..."we cant interact with homeless due to Covid..." (covid is now the generalized excuse for everything in government) Of course Covid did not stop them in interacting with BLM protesters or even in interacting with taxpayers in general.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The other problem as we have discussed before is that when the city or county encounters homeless people in no trespassing areas even if they have beds available (under Boise) they will not force the people to take them and they wont remove them from the no trespassing areas (like the nature center which excludes even taxpayers). This is even true in instances were they know the homeless person is a threat to others (this has been documented) This is an example of how government entities (via their employees) give uneducated voters false interpretations of case law and statutes to excuse inaction (very common with police). Lakewood on the other hand does remove trespassing homeless from the west side of the Carson St. overpass over the SG river. Its amazing to see the difference in approaches to the problem. Same laws. Different interpretations.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So until voter pressur</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>e forces the city council to do its job the fires will continue. Lets hope the city wises up before the entire nature center is lost to a fire. It will take years to recover from that as nothing will be done to fix it once it burns down.</span> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As an addendum to this story above this is an interesting note on the <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RanchFire?src=hashtag_click" target="_blank">Azusa ranch fire </a>This was initially reported to us by one of our loyal readers after hearing it on KFI radio... "It was reported about 2:45 p.m. near North San Gabriel Canyon Road and North Ranch Road, according to the Azusa Police Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which called in a second-alarm response.<b> At least two residents said the fire began after a fight between two people at a homeless encampment in the river bed area.</b></span></span></p><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>"They were arguing over a bike," <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/california-wildfires/evacuations-ordered-in-azusa-as-fire-burns-close-to-homes/2412616/" target="_blank">said resident Jimmy Pockets</a>. "Things got escalated to where the fire started. It took off so quick."...</span><span>Fire officials have not determined a cause..." </span><span>Given</span><a href=" https://goo.gl/maps/FvS6saWUtMX8ke7V9" target="_blank"> where the fire started</a><span> this seems highly plausible.</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span><a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/person-of-interest-possibly-connected-to-1500-acre-blaze-in-azusa/2413265/" target="_blank">Update:</a> </span><span style="color: rgba(13, 13, 13, 0.9); white-space: normal;">A witness who lives in a riverbed near Mountain Cove told NBC4 an argument between two homeless men sparked the fire.</span><span style="color: rgba(13, 13, 13, 0.9); white-space: normal;">"There were two gentlemen in the back (of a homeless encampment) fighting and they were arguing over a bike and one guy said he'd burn the other guy out, and things got escalated to where the fire started," evacuee Jimmy Pockets told the station. </span><span style="color: rgba(13, 13, 13, 0.9); white-space: normal;">"Ran over to try to put it out but it just took off so quick."</span></span></div></div><p><a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
<a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=LakewoodAccountabilityActionGroupLaagWwwlaagusLakewoodCa" target="_blank">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a>
</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-90719139795243871452020-01-05T15:02:00.001-08:002020-01-05T15:17:22.686-08:00Written Comments in Lieu of Public Comments at City Council meeting Jan 7 2020 Agenda item: 20-0019 2020 Affordable Housing Assessment <br />
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Long Beach</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> City Council</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Stacy Mungo (5<sup>th</sup>
Dist) district5@longbeach.gov, stacy.mungo@longbeach.gov</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The Mayor<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mayor@longbeach.gov</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">City Manager<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CityManager@longbeach.gov,
Tom.Modica@longbeach.gov</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">City Clerk<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CityClerk@longbeach.gov</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Date submitted: January 5,
2020</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Re: <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Written
Comments in Lieu of Public Comments at City Council meeting</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meeting
Date: Jan 7, 2020</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Agenda
item: 20-0019<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2020 Affordable Housing
Assessment</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Dear City Council and Mayor:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Due to the fact that my time
is valuable and public comments were limited to 90 seconds by the council in
August 2019 I am submitting my written comments below regarding the above
matter to be inserted into the written record as if made in person at the
meeting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">This proposed tax and related
ballot measure is totally unacceptable. Property taxes go up yearly, as do the
direct assessments and the “voted indebtedness” and on top of that Proposition
13 may soon be abolished in the state. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Gov. Gavin Newsom has put
$500 million into his January 2020 budget proposal to shore up financially
struggling board and care homes. <a href="https://ktla.com/2019/12/31/500m-from-gov-newsoms-ca-budget-could-keep-l-a-s-most-vulnerable-from-becoming-homeless/">https://ktla.com/2019/12/31/500m-from-gov-newsoms-ca-budget-could-keep-l-a-s-most-vulnerable-from-becoming-homeless/</a>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Homeless issues are issues
that are statewide and the budget pain needs to be shared by all statewide. We can’t
have a tax just on property tax in one city. As this is a statewide issue this
needs to be paid for by everyone in the state. NOT just property owners.
Otherwise this is sure to pass as renters will see this as no cost to them. Use
“other people’s money” to solve my perceived problems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">We also have the county wide
measure HHH passed in Nov 2016 and now the expenditure of that money is already
being scrutinized as likely wasted. <a href="https://laist.com/2019/10/08/prop_hhh_homeless_housing_audit.php">https://laist.com/2019/10/08/prop_hhh_homeless_housing_audit.php</a>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">County officials also
estimated the average property tax rate required to repay these HHH bonds to be
$9.64 per $100,000 in assessed property value It is not clear at all what
percentage of those HHH funds are provided to Long beach each year (for Long
Beach to spend as it wishes) or what percentage of those finds are spent on or
in Long beach each year with respect to the homeless. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">LA City also passed its own
separate Measure H in March 2016 (authorizing a 0.25 percent county sales tax
for 10 years in order to fund homeless services and prevention.) just before
HHH was passed. Again same effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">There is no accounting of all
the NGO, Federal, State and county money currently spent or directed to the
city of LB that
impact homeless, drug addicted etc. There is also no accounting as to what Long Beach’s current
level of spending it on these and related issues. This needs to be clearly
presented to taxpayers. No mention of it in the memo from Councilmember Rex
Richardson, or any staff report. And Im sure it will not mentioned clearly in
the ballot measure as government entities do all they can to obfuscate the real
costs to taxpayers in these bond measures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">We can’t force people to take
free housing. Even when we do they can’t stay in it. See LA Times article<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-29/street-within-broadway-place-homeless-los-angeles">https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-29/street-within-broadway-place-homeless-los-angeles</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is really not a housing issue. It’s
a crime/bail issue (helped along with things like proposition 47). It’s a
mental illness problem. (see proposition 63) It’s lack of healthcare. It s drug
problem. It’s a human nature problem. Some people clearly like living on the
river bed and other places as they have all been offered help and housing by
the city numerous times and refused it (that’s why I’m told the city “won’t” “move”
them from their tents). Why? They don’t want to follow rules. This just goes on
and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2019/09/12/why-california-keeps-making-homelessness-worse/#60a587825a61">https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2019/09/12/why-california-keeps-making-homelessness-worse/#60a587825a61</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A tax or bond in Long Beach will do NOTHING but make existing
fixed income homeowners more unable to stay in their homes or perform upgrades
to their homes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Half our (general fund) budget
now is for police. Half!! So that roughly $557 million dollars each year is
really spent on homeless when you think about it. So we need to put more onus
on the police to dial in this problem. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">As I recall LB was not even
part of the Supreme court amicus challenge to Martin v. City of Boise, 902 F.
3d 1031 - Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit 2018. <a href="https://www.lbreport.com/news/sept19/martin2.htm">https://www.lbreport.com/news/sept19/martin2.htm</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way it does not matter. You are
over extending the holding of the case and using it to defend non police action
in all circumstances. You are also using it as an excuse to build very costly
free homes for homeless people. <a href="https://www.lbreport.com/news/dec19/boiseprice.htm">https://www.lbreport.com/news/dec19/boiseprice.htm</a>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The law that was attacked by
the ACLU in Boise
was an “anti camping” law. That is all it addressed. The holding was narrow.
Its states in full:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“Our holding is a narrow one.
… "we in no way dictate to the City that it must provide sufficient
shelter for the homeless, or allow anyone who wishes to sit, lie, or sleep on
the streets... at any time and at any place." Id. at 1138. We hold only that "so long
as there is a greater number of homeless individuals in [a jurisdiction] than
the number of available beds [in shelters]," the jurisdiction cannot
prosecute homeless individuals for "involuntarily sitting, lying, and
sleeping in public.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Martin v. City of Boise, 902 F. 3d 1031,
1049.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">It does not say "no
trespassing" signs cannot be enforced in areas where humans should not be
like in the Eldorado nature center or under bridges crossing the river where we
have public safety issues. Re do the signs like Lakewood did here at Carson St.
and SG River<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/dgZaJc7cN2ACRvSB7">https://photos.app.goo.gl/dgZaJc7cN2ACRvSB7</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Boise case does not say you cant arrest
or cite or move people due to other crimes like drugs or theft. Its
specifically says you can. Also the informal policy of leaving people in posted
“no trespassing” areas if they don’t want to go to an available bed is a failed
policy. How can that ever work? What constitutes a "bed" under case
law? A 500k home or a tent in a lot? No trespassing means NO trespassing by
ANYONE homeless or not. This is why the fires were started by the homeless in
the nature center. No trespassing laws were NOT enforced with predictable
results.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Since Long
Beach failed to get the Boise
case taken up by Supreme court just create a new case with news fact that the
ACLU can loose!. Start rousting people in trespassing areas and let the ACLU
sue again then you can revisit the limited ruling in the Boise case. Stop being so passive. We will
never have enough beds in LA county to solve this problem. Ever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Look at how Utah
avoided running afoul of the Boise
case: <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-22/homeless-salt-lake-city-utah-shelter">https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-22/homeless-salt-lake-city-utah-shelter</a>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">This is a bottomless pit.
It’s a regional and statewide issue. The more money LB gives out the more homeless
will come to Long Beach.
This is documented. Its that simple. In the years since Measure HHH and H have
passed homelessness has increased. I think you have a cause and effect problem.
But if your goal is to add more city employees to the payroll (Richardson’s
memo says at p. 3: “It would also likely require significant additional
investment in staffing and programs to effectively manage the resulting
expanded affordable housing program”) and reward NGO campaign contributors them
by all means add more taxes onto the backs for struggling homeowners. The
exodus from CA is starting to become apparent and is going accelerate for the
next 20 years. That’s for sure. The middle class will be gone. It will be
elites, high income people, overpaid government workers and homeless or zero
income (read not paying taxes) people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Speaking of homelessness and
NGO’s Katie Hill the U.S. Representative for California's 25th congressional district
from January to November 2019, was the former executive director of People
Assisting the Homeless (PATH). Word on the street is that Hill was making 150k
a year at PATH where she made the contacts to get her seat. PATH pays 52% of
the (tax) money it gets as payroll. This is at the heart of the problem with
homeless funding. Its an emorphoes problem with many causes and many solutions.
Exactly the kind of problem where money is thrown at it wil very little
success. Just look at PATH as an example. <a href="https://www.guidestar.org/profile/95-3950196">https://www.guidestar.org/profile/95-3950196</a>
and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Hill_(politician)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Hill_(politician)</a>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">I am also attaching a copy of
the entire thread (226 comments as of today) on this subject from nextdoor.com
regarding this issue and as you can see all of the comments were negative. The
direct link to the thread (login required) is <a href="https://nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=133260938&comment=325958381">https://nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=133260938&comment=325958381</a>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Please vote against adding
this Affordable Housing Assessment to the ballot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Signed: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">5<sup>th</sup> District
Property Owner</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Registered Voter</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Taxpayer</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Cc: mail@LBreport.com,
editor@gazettes.com</span> <br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-20368095342164070502019-06-19T21:53:00.001-07:002019-06-23T16:16:55.709-07:00After a seond fire on June 19 2019 at the ElDorado nature center, the time for city and county officials to act has arrived<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
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<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-4fcf5f09-7fff-3f7d-84dd-a8e1db7ebb05" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At about 5:30 this afternoon as I was headed southbound on the San Gabriel River bike path. I noticed smoke in the area of the Eldorado Park nature center and I said to myself this could not possibly be another fire in the nature center as we just had one on <a href="https://www.laag.us/2019/04/there-was-ample-warning-given-to-city.html" target="_blank">April 3rd 2019</a> That fire was located <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/MtxeLMkv2fiXTjHp9" target="_blank">here</a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I got closer I entered the nature center and saw Long Beach Park Police driving around in their SUVs trying to figure out how to get closer to the fire. I could hear sirens in the distance of the fire trucks trying to locate the fire and how to get closest to it as it was not very accessible. They eventually did locate it and it was in the section of the park where people are not allowed to go <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/ErxgUkawr6UTeTEF7" target="_blank">near the off-ramp from the southbound 605 freeway to westbound Willow Street.</a> <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/JEaJPJfENmjz4AZT8" target="_blank">This map</a> shows the location of the June 19th fire to the east of the April 3 fire (about 1500 feet apart). The <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/7LNKStThus6M9zt76" target="_blank">photos and video here</a> show where the fire trucks are parked to fight the fire. As you can see its far enough away from the freeway that it was not likely caused by any motorist. So we concluded it was likely set by a vagrant as the one on April 3 likely was. LBPD did not catch any suspects who were likely long gone by the time they got on the scene.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just before leaving the house today I had sent another email to Stacy Mungo's office along with Pat West and the county (see below) explaining to them that the fence along the San Gabriel River which prohibits vagrants from getting into the unoccupied sections or restricted sections of the nature center was still down in about five places where the fire department (and vagrants before them) had cut it down to fight the fire. I also saw over the last few weeks new trash in that area since the April 3rd fire and its seemed likely to me that vagrants were still going into the parts of the nature center that are prohibited to enter</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The County of Los Angeles also did one of their infamous <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/BvqF4Q1TZFWzCo4u6" target="_blank">river sweeps on May 27th</a> to try to “clean up” the vagrant problem and their “byproducts” along the river which of course is bleeding over into the El Dorado nature center, which gives them cover from the authorities</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The problem is you can see from the emails is that the system that the county and Long Beach is using to deal with homeless in this particular area is not working because the drug addicted or mentally ill vagrants often refuse treatment because they do not want to be restricted in any way in their housing situation and prefer to make it on their own out on the river or in the nature center where they can start fires to cook drugs or food and sort of live out in nature sort of like in the middle of a forest.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-369a5c65-7fff-ca24-4769-5d501b1ddcb5" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Obviously this practice of allowing the vagrants to stay under the bridges and living in the nature center is not working and we need to have a new approach. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is not really a "homeless" problem per se it's more of a vagrant drug user petty crime problem. The homeless word is just a label masking a multifaceted causation issue and in a way is preventing realistic solutions.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That new approach needs to be that if these vagrants in these heavily restricted areas that involve public safety issues such as bridges, the nature center places (where fires can break out and are hard to reach and extinguish) and where there are oil and gas pipelines over the river attached to these bridges, refuse assistance or treatment they will have to be told that if they do refuse they're going to have to move their camp to some other place where they can be watched more closely. We cannot allow them to remain in these areas where they can create costly damage and possibly catastrophic damage.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the problem with the nature center there is no way for anyone to see what is going on in that thickly wooded area normal people are not allowed to go into. Same with living under freeway bridges or roadway bridges. No one can see the activity under those bridges except the occasional cyclist that happens to drive under that bridge on his bike. Those vagrants are not seen by police and they are not seen by helicopters and they are not seen by residents or motorists passing by. They are invisible 24 hours a day to do whatever they want with our infrastructure and our natural wooded areas like the nature center. Start fires, damage the infrastructure with all the tools they have (we know many have bolt cutters to cut fences and locks and gain access to non permitted areas)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Common sense says that it's one thing to have a vagrant on a sidewalk it's another thing to have a vagrant or numerous vagrants living inside a thickly wooded area that is very difficult for firefighters to reach and even more difficult for them to put out these fires because there is no nearby water for them to use other than the river. Which is why today they had to again use a water dropping helicopter. This is the same problem with the homeless living on the San Gabriel and LA Rivers where numerous natural gas and oil pipelines cross within a few feet of their encampments. If a fire were to happen in those encampments a short distance from those oil and gas pipelines that could be catastrophic results for human life and people traveling over those bridges every day.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We suspect that the reason the vagrants are allowed (by the city and county) to stay in the non visible yet restricted areas is that voters don't see them and so feel there is less of a problem. Out of sight out of mind.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn admits finding the right office to call can be frustrating for people looking to report homeless problems. With the county allotting $460 million this year to homelessness-related programs, Hahn says the resources are there to get more people off the street. <b><i>"What I want to see happen is more of our homeless outreach workers traversing the county of Los Angeles on a daily basis and finding people before someone has to call," Hahn said." </i></b>Quote from this <a href="https://abc7.com/society/jurisdictions-sparking-frustration-in-homelessness-reporting/5357972/" target="_blank">June 2019 article</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The homeless response situation as it's currently set up needs to change and it needs to change now. This is the second fire we've had in 2 months and it's at least the fifth fire that we've had on the San Gabriel River that is likely been started by vagrants. These last two just happened to be the most visible.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emails sent today by LAAG just before the fire started:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">From: Long Beach Accountability Action Group <updates@laag.us></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Date: Wed, Jun 19, 2019 at 4:27 PM</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Subject: Re: SGR river sweep on 5/21</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">To: Herlinda Chico | Hahn 4th dist LA Co Field Deputy <HChico@lacbos.org>, Hahn 4th dist LA county general email <fourthdistrict@bos.lacounty.gov>, Chris Stone, Asst. Deputy Dir LA Co DPW <cstone@dpw.lacounty.gov>, Rich Armond | LBPD East Division Quality of Life Unit <richard.armond@longbeach.gov></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Herlinda:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The
5/21 sweep was delayed to 5/27. Almost impossible to notice that it
occurred. I dont see any homeless folks "gone" from Carson st to the
ocean along the bike path as a result of the sweep. Some of their
"trash" was taken out but that was it. Ill just assume that all
"refused" "help" and were then told to have a nice day
trespassing/defacing/trashing county property. We are going to need to
start twisting arms when they refuse or apply some sort of consequence.
All carrots wont work apparently. But the 125 beds in LB wont help
either. drop in the bucket.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I dont want to tell you how pissed off people are on <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://nextdoor.com&source=gmail&ust=1561092297556000&usg=AFQjCNGsOPwRj-5vzokcb2YAi8k_PiEiuQ" href="http://nextdoor.com/" target="_blank">nextdoor.com</a>
since the so-called "river sweep". you know that. And no they are not
all crazies. Most just concerned homeowners that fear encroachment of
more homeless spilling out of the river.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I hope we can increase the frequency and effectiveness of the sweeps in the near future</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="gmail_default"></span>From: <b class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Long Beach Accountability Action Group</b> <span dir="auto"><updates@laag.us></span><br />Date: Wed, Jun 19, 2019 at 4:50 PM<br />Subject: Re: SGR river sweep on 5/21<br />To:
Herlinda Chico | Hahn 4th dist LA Co Field Deputy
<HChico@lacbos.org>, Hahn 4th dist LA county general email
<fourthdistrict@bos.lacounty.gov>, Chris Stone, Asst. Deputy Dir
LA Co DPW <cstone@dpw.lacounty.gov>, Stacy Mungo Councilwoman City
of Long Beach, 5th District <stacy.mungo@longbeach.gov>, Pat West
LB city Mgr <patrick.west@longbeach.gov></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Herlinda:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One
more point. In the 5/27 sweep no one fixed the fences along the east
side of the river (which I was lead to believe was part of the sweep
process). Who has fence fixing responsibility from carson to ocean on
the east side of river boundary.? The county or LB or both. That fence
needs to be checked weekly. the LB nature center fence still down in
about 5 places since fire on april 3 2019 Amazing. That fence being
down was the reason the fire got started to begin with <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://photos.app.goo.gl/1XnnES9e2gwy2KKg9&source=gmail&ust=1561092297545000&usg=AFQjCNHNW5L-5YDh2kuLacSOw4F_xr3OHA" href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/1XnnES9e2gwy2KKg9" target="_blank">https://photos.app.goo.gl/<wbr></wbr>1XnnES9e2gwy2KKg9</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-42749666579325861262019-04-04T10:07:00.003-07:002019-04-04T12:58:14.927-07:00There was ample warning given to city officials before the fire at the ElDorado nature center on April 3 2019Most are already aware of all the <a href="https://www.presstelegram.com/2019/04/03/crews-battle-vegetation-fire-at-long-beach-nature-center/">publicity surrounding the fire that occurred on April 3 2019 at the El Dorado nature center.</a> Most who use it or ride by it on the San Gabriel River (SG River) bike path are also aware that the area is fenced off from the river and for the most part inaccessible (or supposed to be) from humans. It is in an area that is meant to be "natural" and so there is no tree trimming, grass mowing or any other maintenance of those premises. As a result its a perfect place for the "homeless" ( I use that term loosely) to set up camp.Its also the perfect place for a fire to start. Police and Park rangers don't patrol that area as they rarely bike or ride down the bike path in their vehicles. The squatter camps and trash cannot be seen by passing motorists on roadways and cannot be seen well from the air. I think its ironic that this is all going on while our Mayor Garcia touts his "Everybody Home" initiative on top of the millions if not billions raised by Propositions H and HHH (Garcia touting his Imitative here in <a href="https://www.lbbusinessjournal.com/q-amp-a-mayor-robert-garcia-delves-into-city-s-momentum-as-well-as-its-challenges/" target="_blank">Sept 2018 </a>and in <a href="http://www.gazettes.com/news/government/high-level-task-force-to-take-on-long-beach-homeless/article_4536e4a8-4347-11e8-8520-03af92f3734e.html" target="_blank">April 2018</a>)<br />
<br />
Yet despite all this the city is well aware of the problem as you will see from emails below. This is simply a case of either city management refusing to tell police to clean up the situation or worse a feeling by many at the city that since the problem is not visible to most voters to just leave it alone and wait until problems happen. As long as the problem is well hidden from the majority of voters they ignore it. These are <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/x3dgm7yoYDF9wjnt5">photos sent to the city in Dec 2017</a> showing the destruction to the fence in the very area where the fire occurred on April 3 2019. Tearing down the fence along the bike path is the only way really for the homeless to gain access to the area where the fire occurred. People are not supposed to be in this fenced off area. This is only visible to bike riders on the SG river trail. Weekly fence damage patrols need to be done in that area.<br />
<br />
We are aware of at least three physical attacks of bike riders by homeless on the SG River in the last few years. We have been told by police on the river not to ride down there without pepper spray. We have also been told by police that many of these "homeless" down there would have been in jail but for voter passed propositions (passed in the last few years) that allow "low level criminals" to escape any jail time. (As an aside the cops explain that courts only look at the current offence for the violence determination and ignore all prior violent convictions so the "non violent offenders" claim is bogus..<a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ventura-stabbing-police-tactics-20180424-htmlstory.html">here is an example</a>) Again all homeless are NOT the same. Many are criminals, drug addicted or mentally ill. These are the ones that typically refuse help. 99% of the homeless we see down on the river are adult males between 30 and 50 years of age. No children. No families.<br />
<br />
The city leaders of course claim that (1) they did not know about the "problems" and (2) that "the law" "prevents" them from doing "anything". They are wrong on both counts. The emails below take care of item one as well as direct face to face communications we have had with police and park rangers over the last 24 months on the problem. As for the second issue, fortunately the City of Long Beach had a large very capable bureaucratic City Attorneys office to deal with how to legally move these homeless off the trail and into shelters. But they simply don't want to be bothered with the problem until of course it blows up in their face.<br />
<br />
The city of Lakewood is responsible for the west side of the Carson street bridge (or rather under it) and has posted no trespassing signs there on the bridge and in January 2019 <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/icPSoKMJJ9kGs5uQA">removed a large homeless camp of many individuals.</a> This camp is now once again starting to form. They have been advised of the problem and how to fix it but like Long beach they are know it alls and will not listen to citizen complaints, dismissing them as not credible or simply "we cant do anything". The Santa Ana river was filled with hundreds of homeless in 2016-2018 and that problem was cleaned up.<br />
<br />
There is a legal process to move the homeless out of camps and into facilities. We are not talking about that many people on the SG river, no where near the daunting tasked that faced the cities on the Santa Ana river. The problem is that it has become chronic and we suspect the same individuals are causing the problem over and over again. The city needs to step up and start tackling this problem where it is least seen, not just the visible homeless on the sidewalks around city hall. Problem is cleaning up the river does not garner a lot of re-election votes as so few voters are aware of the extent of the problem.<br />
<br />
Onto the fire issues. We have known of three fires on the SG river all in Long Beach. Im sure there are many more as most are not covered by the media and swept under the rug by police and fire depts.<br />
<br />
FIRE 1: The first fire was around April 1 2017 and occurred at a homeless camp at the SW corner of the Carson St Walmart parking lot (<a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/SiDnk278aZRMKqig6">photo</a>) which was on SG River property (at the NW order of El Dorado park). It was 15 feet off the bike path. Fire and Police dept were on scene. As it was recent it was brought up at a Councilperson Mungo's public event on April 10 2017. Basically Mungo and the police (present) told everyone they could not do anything about it. You know legal stuff that none of you little people could understand.<br />
<br />
FIRE 2: On or about November 30 2017. Again this was at another spot favored (prized) by the homeless: The east side of the Willow street bridge over the SG river just 100 feet from where the fire was on April 3, 2019. This fire was under the bridge itself, which I'm sure makes motorists feel comfortable as they traverse that bridge daily. The people living under this bridge were tossed out of there <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/i8RmjDuVQuud3jEN7">using the legal procedure Dec 13 2017</a> but within a month they were back again. We have talked to fire personnel in that area literally warning these homeless under that bridge of high water threats in the river but doing nothing to remove them. The problem at this bridge (like Carson st.) is well known. Every time the police and fire go down there to retrieve another dead body in the river they are reminded of the problem. The concern especially at Willow street is that gasoline generators are being used by the homeless. That's right. Gasoline. What could go wrong. No idea what "business" they are running under there but from talking with Seal Beach police in that area its mostly stolen bikes (chop shops for bikes).<br />
<br />
FIRE 3: April 4 2019. This fire of course well documented by the media due to its size and location. the perfect place for a fire. hard to get to an no hydrants nearby (just river water which they failed to use)<br />
<br />
The next problem that will be occurring is at the 405 freeway and the SG River. This place is notorious for homeless. Seal beach and Caltrans have cleared out a large camp (Feb 2019) <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/TwwyZLMhVt4SS1a9A">at the side of the SB 605 ramp to the 405 north. </a>A few years ago they were literally living INSIDE the freeway bridges over the river accessing them thru panels cut by Caltrans to add seismic updates to the bridge. More recently they are using the holes to store (likely) stolen bikes! <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/X4hc1Y3VjRTiRLqKA">A photo from March 7 2019</a>. I would hate to see what it now looks like up inside that bridge. Wonder what internal damage they have done to the bridge itself. I know for a fact many of these homeless carry large bolt cutters and other tools to gain access to non permitted areas. Lock and fence cutting is also occurring at Carson St bridge and SG River as we write this. City of lakewood is well aware of it.<br />
<br />
The email exchange with various council people and Long beach city officials is below along with the dates of the communications. Judge for yourself if the fire at the Nature Center was preventable by the city had they listened and taken appropriate timely action. Time has come for some real action with respect to the homeless on the river. Hopefully this fire will draw more public attention to the problem that has been well known by the city for years.<br />
<br />
<br />
On Wed, Feb 21, 2018 at 8:36 AM, Stacy Mungo <span dir="ltr">
<<a href="mailto:Stacy.Mungo@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">Stacy.Mungo@longbeach.gov</a>></span> wrote:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px #ccc solid; margin: 0 0 0 .8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div dir="auto">
Sir or ma’am,
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We will look Into this. I have addd Councilman Supernaw as this is in the 4th and I know he’d like to keep an eye on it.</div>
<div>
<br />
<div id="m_1894731369170513632m_-1307506576099478958m_9214310932356230970m_159812238458793023AppleMailSignature">
-Stacy</div>
<div>
<br />
On Feb 19, 2018, at 9:46 AM, Long Beach Accountability Action Group <<a href="mailto:updates@laag.us" target="_blank">updates@laag.us</a>> wrote:<br />
<br /></div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div style="font-size: small;">
Just focus on the fence for now<br />
<br />
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-housing-gaps-20180217-story.html&source=gmail&ust=1554482345143000&usg=AFQjCNH66XoEwaCO-0kYyRAvCHPcy7DOdg" href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-housing-gaps-20180217-story.html" target="_blank">http://www.latimes.com/local/<wbr></wbr>lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-<wbr></wbr>housing-gaps-20180217-story.<wbr></wbr>html</a></div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra">
<br />
<div class="gmail_quote">
On Fri, Feb 16, 2018 at 10:49 AM, Long Beach Accountability Action Group
<span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:updates@laag.us" target="_blank">updates@laag.us</a>></span> wrote:<br />
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px #ccc solid; margin: 0 0 0 .8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div dir="ltr">
<div style="font-size: small;">
Sadly the fence has two new "holes" (just
north of willow along river bed east side) and a sagging spot halfway
between willow and spring. that sagging spot likely occurred as the
fence installers did not properly
secure the top of the chain link fencing to the top guide wire still in
place between the poles (which you can still see in place in my blurry
photo)<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Here are some pics from this week. get it fixed before they start going in there again if they are not already.
</span>
<br />
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://photos.app.goo.gl/RLkmn4JZZ7TzAoOj1&source=gmail&ust=1554482345143000&usg=AFQjCNHZoXS8IS6D1tIfnIIkCGoWJ4q2Hw" href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/RLkmn4JZZ7TzAoOj1" target="_blank">https://photos.app.goo.gl/<wbr></wbr>RLkmn4JZZ7TzAoOj1</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
---------- Forwarded message ----------<br />
From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Long Beach Accountability Action Group</b> <span dir="ltr">
<<a href="mailto:updates@laag.us" target="_blank">updates@laag.us</a>></span><br />
Date: Wed, Dec 20, 2017 at 11:06 AM<br />
Subject: Re: Homeless issues in Eldorado Park Nature Center<br />
To: Stacy Mungo <<a href="mailto:Stacy.Mungo@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">Stacy.Mungo@longbeach.gov</a>>, "Stacy Mungo Councilwoman City of Long Beach, 5th District" <<a href="mailto:district5@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">district5@longbeach.gov</a>><br />
Cc: Pat West LB city Mgr <<a href="mailto:patrick.west@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">patrick.west@longbeach.gov</a>>, "Marie Knight | Dir. Long beach Parks, Recreation and Marine" <<a href="mailto:Marie.Knight@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">Marie.Knight@longbeach.gov</a>><br />
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
<div style="font-size: small;">
Stacy:</div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
I ride by thre 3-4 days a week. They are
very well hidden from above and even from bike path. military grade
camouflage. One thing that would help is keep checking the chain link
fence between the nature section and the river bike
path. They use the bike path to get in there and have damaged the fence
in at least 5 paces to gain access.<span style="background-color: yellow;"> Keep that fixed and they likely
will stay out<br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: yellow;">As for fires that place is ripe for a fire
and most of the people in there likely have lighters or other ignition
sources for cooking or for smoking or using drugs</span></div>
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Finally even if these people cannot be
locked up they can be "arrested" for most of the things they are
"likely" doing and that give you the right to take all their "crap" and
store it for 90 days (per ACLU cases) either way its
out out of there. If you keep doing that they will get the msg. My
retired cop capt friend said whenever they got a homeless person setting
up they would move them out as they know more would follow and word
would get out that it was a good place to camp.
next thing you know its the Santa Ana river. Govt is good at kicking
the can down the road and putting off problems until they are huge and
blow up.</div>
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On Mon, Dec 18, 2017 at 11:17 AM, Stacy Mungo <span dir="ltr">
<<a href="mailto:Stacy.Mungo@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">Stacy.Mungo@longbeach.gov</a>></span> wrote:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Hi,
just want you to know I’ve followed up with staff and we’ll get a
response going. <span style="background-color: yellow;">You bring up a good point about the fires. Thanks for
your vigilance!<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><u></u><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><u></u></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">Stacy Mungo</span><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">From:</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Long Beach Accountability Action Group <<a href="mailto:updates@laag.us" target="_blank">updates@laag.us</a>><br />
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, December 14, 2017 8:37 AM<br />
<b>To:</b> Patrick West<br />
<b>Cc:</b> Mayor; Council District 5; Christine Schachter; Marie Knight; Valerie Davis; Angela McGrath<br />
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Homeless issues in Eldorado Park Nature Center</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Thank
you Pat for responding. You are the only one that did out of all the
people below. Here is an interesting news article from today on what
Santa Ana is doing. of course the
lazy reporter did not bother to cite the ordinance number or quote it.<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RStC45WyuLXl9q5f_6QeDstgFwd1V-Zv/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"> I found it and attached it</a> as I know cities like to copy ordinances of
other cities. Lets hope Eldo does not become the place all the Santa Ana
river and Santa Ana civic center refugees
head to next. <span style="background-color: yellow;">And I really do fear a fire either under bridges or worse
in the nature area. </span>I bike past that area daily and see what is going
on. Go take a look for yourself. they are well hidden<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.ocregister.com/2017/12/13/santa-ana-begins-enforcing-new-homeless-ordinance/&source=gmail&ust=1554482345143000&usg=AFQjCNF9q7tSBwrkxd-1DxZt0epRz4oKaQ" href="http://www.ocregister.com/2017/12/13/santa-ana-begins-enforcing-new-homeless-ordinance/" id="m_1894731369170513632m_-1307506576099478958m_9214310932356230970m_159812238458793023m_6484124612663047136gmail-m_8453567252701220057m_7187871970615477942LPlnk152134" target="_blank">http://www.ocregister.com/<wbr></wbr>2017/12/13/santa-ana-begins-<wbr></wbr>enforcing-new-homeless-<wbr></wbr>ordinance/</a><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 2:00 PM, Patrick West <<a href="mailto:Patrick.West@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">Patrick.West@longbeach.gov</a>> wrote:<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Thank for your email. We'll make sure the appropriate entities follow up. Pat west<br />
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Sent from my iPhone<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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On Dec 13, 2017, at 10:47 AM, Long Beach Accountability Action Group <<a href="mailto:updates@laag.us" target="_blank">updates@laag.us</a>> wrote:<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">I
am sending this email again with new info. I want to be on record of
telling the city the problem so that when this issue blows up in your
face you wont be able to say you did
not know about it or were not told</span><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">there
was a fire under bridge at Willow (right neat nature park) on Nov 30
2017 as FD records will show. It was started by a long standing homeless
camp under the east side of the
willow bridge. There was another fire near wal mart at the carson st
bridge in April 2017 that was brought up at the Mungo meeting on April
10 2017. </span>Why homeless are allowed to camp IN eldorado park nature center
area is beyond me. The park rangers chase out
bikes, dog walkers and cars at sunset but Homeless are exempt? This is
sheer laziness on the part of the LB elected officials staff and the
police. enforce the park ordinances. The park is closed to ALL at
sunset. Those are the rules. And I want to go on record
as saying there is a very good chance the "Nature" section of the park
(along the river north of willow south of Spring) has a very good chance
of catching fire reading the stories below and the fires we have
already had very near that section. act now. before
its too late. This is not homelessness on public sidewalks or in the
riverbed where APPARENTLY "different rules" apply. this is a park. I
will bet that if I did not get a permit and let a bunch of boy scouts
camped out in the park (esp the forbidden "nature
section") the rangers would be all over us in ten minutes rousting us
out of there via their vehicle loudspeakers. This is disparate
enforcement of rules that favor the homeless!! Outrageous!
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/12/12/us/california-fire-homeless.html&source=gmail&ust=1554482345144000&usg=AFQjCNHKGEe14Rjss0uNBb6X_n35Y-huLQ" href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/12/12/us/california-fire-homeless.html" target="_blank">https://mobile.nytimes.com/<wbr></wbr>2017/12/12/us/california-fire-<wbr></wbr>homeless.html</a><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/12/12/us/california-fire-homeless.html&source=gmail&ust=1554482345144000&usg=AFQjCNHKGEe14Rjss0uNBb6X_n35Y-huLQ" href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/12/12/us/california-fire-homeless.html" target="_blank">http://www.ocregister.com/<wbr></wbr>2017/12/12/cause-of-skirball-<wbr></wbr>fire-was-illegal-cooking-in-<wbr></wbr>homeless-camp-officials-say/<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br />
From: <b>Long Beach Accountability Action Group</b> <<a href="mailto:updates@laag.us" target="_blank">updates@laag.us</a>><br />
Date: Fri, Nov 17, 2017 at 3:23 PM<br />
Subject: Homeless issues in Eldorado Park Nature Center<br />
To: "Brad Futak, LBPD Quality of Life Unit" <<a href="mailto:brad.futak@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">brad.futak@longbeach.gov</a>>, Chris Roth LBPD Quality of Life Unit <<a href="mailto:chris.roth@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">chris.roth@longbeach.gov</a>>,
Jeanette Rowe <<a href="mailto:jrowe@lahsa.org" target="_blank">jrowe@lahsa.org</a>>, "Robert Cerince, Homeless Services Long beach" <<a href="mailto:Robert.Cerince@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">Robert.Cerince@longbeach.gov</a>><wbr></wbr>, "Tom Kirk, LA county
dept Mental Health (LACDMH)," <<a href="mailto:tkirk@dmh.lacounty.gov" target="_blank">tkirk@dmh.lacounty.gov</a>>, Elsa Ramos | homeless services long beach <<a href="mailto:Elsa.Ramos@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">Elsa.Ramos@longbeach.gov</a>><br />
Cc: "Stacy Mungo Councilwoman City of Long Beach, 5th District" <<a href="mailto:district5@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">district5@longbeach.gov</a>>, "George Chapjian, Dir Parks, Rec, and Marine Long beach" <<a href="mailto:George.Chapjian@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">George.Chapjian@longbeach.gov</a><wbr></wbr>>,
"Marie Knight | Dir. Long beach Parks, Recreation and Marine" <<a href="mailto:Marie.Knight@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">Marie.Knight@longbeach.gov</a>>, Meridith Reynolds | Long beach parks dept <<a href="mailto:meridith.reynolds@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">meridith.reynolds@longbeach.<wbr></wbr>gov</a>>,
Byron Brno | LBPD <<a href="mailto:Byron.Brno@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">Byron.Brno@longbeach.gov</a>>, Laura Farinella LBPD <<a href="mailto:Laura.Farinella@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">Laura.Farinella@longbeach.gov</a><wbr></wbr>>, Liz Griffin | LBPD East
Division Commander <<a href="mailto:liz.griffin@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">liz.griffin@longbeach.gov</a>>, William Lebaron | LBPD <<a href="mailto:William.Lebaron@longbeach.gov" target="_blank">William.Lebaron@longbeach.gov</a><wbr></wbr>><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">As
you well know the homeless on the SGRT are becoming a bigger and bigger
problem and now that OC has evicted all the homeless from SART we are
going to get more on SGRT. So now
that they are invading the Eldorado nature center (a place that is to
remain pristine and natural) and filling it with trash and debris what
is going to be done? They need to be moved out. Anywhere. If you keep
letting them infest that area as they are doing
its only going to get worse. In the last few months it has gotten worse
and their numbers are increasing. This is the PARK not the river bed
(different issue legally and substantively). Here is where they are at
(see attached). Something needs to be done and
done now. I have heard ALL the excuses form LBPD and the park Rangers.
(they told me to complaint to city hall and city leaders so here I am) I
dont need to hear the excuses any more. We are beyond that. Action
needs to be taken now.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
<a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=LakewoodAccountabilityActionGroupLaagWwwlaagusLakewoodCa" target="_blank">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-4781990674495145092017-03-02T12:17:00.001-08:002017-03-13T10:31:24.224-07:00Government emails on personal devices are public record: California Supreme CourtThis took a while but it is the right decision. For years and to this day Lakewood city council members refuse to use city email like "todd.rodgers@lakewoodcity.org" and "prefer" to use their "private" email accounts (just like Hillary Clinton did at the State Dept.). Well those "private" accounts (or any account) are no longer safe or off limits form public records act requests if they have been used to conduct municipal or government business. So if you want to mingle personal business with public business like Hillary did at the State Dept. go ahead, but realize that those private email accounts are no longer safe. I really hope this puts an end to shenanigans by city council members and their cronies. Our <a href="http://www.laag.us/2008/09/use-of-personal-email-accounts-for.html" target="_blank">initial story on this goes way back to 2008</a><br />
<br />
Here is a <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/02/san-jose-californias-top-court-to-decide-if-government-emails-sent-on-private-devices-are-public-record/" target="_blank">lead story</a> and the <a href="http://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S218066.PDF" target="_blank">opinion itself</a>. Enjoy. For once the public wins against City Hall. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-64165463229998191592015-11-03T12:27:00.001-08:002015-11-03T12:27:19.186-08:00Lakewood ranked 1,050 out of 1,268 small cities in Wallet Hub's 2015 Best & Worst Small Cities in America.Lets see how the Lakewood City council spins this one. Lakewood ranked 1,050 out of 1,268 small cities in <a href="https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-small-cities-to-live-in/16581/" target="_blank">Wallet Hub's 2015 Best & Worst Small Cities in America</a>. That is the bottom 18%. Yikes. Clearly all the fake awards like "Sports town" USA and "Playful City" USA and all the other fake awards the city paid for are not paying off. Better luck next year Lakewood.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
<a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=LakewoodAccountabilityActionGroupLaagWwwlaagusLakewoodCa" target="_blank">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-39133399573934295402014-08-03T14:55:00.001-07:002014-08-06T12:04:00.176-07:00Dangerous Condition on Arrow Highway between Azusa Ave and Cerritos Ave<br />
Unfortunately it has come to this. Over the last 30 years infrastructure in California has crumbled and the pace is accelerating. We have warm weather year round but nonetheless are roads are crumbling. The problem (as pointed out by long time city staffers) is that there is no budget. But this issue is not a recent phenomenon. Its been a long time in coming. Years of "robbing" from city infrastructure budgets to pay for silly "pet" projects or to lure private investment (which should pay its own way) or feed ever hungry public unions and bloated pension plans. The problem has been ignored for years. Assumptions were made that streets would just last forever. Well the problems have now come home to roost. [as an update to this story we feel vindicated by this <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-0806-lopez-tarzana-20140805-column.html" target="_blank">plight of this poor woman</a>]<br />
<br />
And the public "servants" (now referred to by LAAG as the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrician_%28ancient_Rome%29" target="_blank">public aristocracy</a>") is starting to feel the pressure of these problems. But not to fear. City employees are very good at ignoring the public, dismissing them with belittling comments (to their face or behind their back) and basically telling them they know nothing and to go away. This is all done in a very "politically correct" fashion of course. We have even seen elected politicos go so far as to ask LAAG to praise the city employees for doing their job with our tax money (tax money to pay the employee for working and tax money to fix the infrastructure)! How is that for absurd! And all because the PROBLEM is directly attributable to them wasting our tax dollars and at the same time failing miserably to DO their job over the last 30 years! Then the public servants sit there in amazement as to why "these people" complain and <a href="http://www.laag.us/search/label/LAAG%20favorite%20quotes" target="_blank">why they are so cynical</a>.<br />
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Typically voters/taxpayers complain about infrastructure problems via phone call. That's useless. Might as well call your aunt and complain to her. Records of those calls/complaints are gone the minute you hang up. How about emails you ask? Well those are <a href="http://www.laag.us/2014/07/using-private-email-for-official.html" target="_blank">typically "erased" as well</a> or at least they will be if there is ever a lawsuit due to an injury. Cities are loathe to keep them for fear someone might find out that they actually KNEW about a problem and failed or more likely "refused" to fix it even though it involved public safety and could be remedied for very little of OUR tax dollars.<br />
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As you can see from the email below we complained (on June 1, 2014) about <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/111511874879606013454/albums/6035682604628483969?authkey=CIHMy62b7J-EmgE" target="_blank">some very dangerous potholes </a>right in the area where bicycles ride, especially large groups. This condition has slowly gotten worse over the last 6 months with the tiny bit of rain we did get this spring. The city that is responsible (Azusa) really did not come out and say that this southern section of the roadway was their responsibility but the border city (Covina) which claims it had no responsibility over that roadway section put the blame on Azusa! Way to go Covina!<br />
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All Azusa had to say in response to our initial reporting email was this:<br />
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<i>"Yes that section of the roadway in your email is our responsibility. We are sending a crew out there in the next two days to assess the situation and will make emergency repairs as warranted that same day. Once they are complete we will send you and email indicating they are complete. Once that is done please let us know if we solved the dangerous condition at least temporarily." </i>(they don't even have to thanks us even though unlike the (grossly over compensated) public servants LAAG does this for NO compensation.<br />
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But instead we got a bunch of dismissive backtalk (by one of the top Public Works people) about how we are not doing anything that helped the situation, and that the prior problem we alerted them to was also of no help, (even though they did exactly what we told them to do a year later), no thanks for calling it to their attention and basically dismissed us as bothering them. Again public servants transformed into public aristocracy.<br />
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We did note that the paving in front of Azusa City Hall is new and pristine!! What a coincidence!! <br />
<br />
The thought in government these days is that all the "good ideas" come from government. They know it all. Nothing good (ideas or observations) can ever come from taxpayers that actually understand the problem better than the city does as taxpayers have to deal with it on a daily basis. Bicycle riders unfortunately know the problems with roads much better than the public "servants" who never ride bikes on their own roads. Bicycle riders see all the potholes and defects right up close at speeds slower than cars. The potholes in <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/111511874879606013454/albums/6035682604628483969?authkey=CIHMy62b7J-EmgE" target="_blank">these photos</a> wont affect most cars and motorcycles nearly as much as a bicycle. The bicycle wheel in the photo does not do these holes justice. Some of them are 2 inches deep or more. You ride into these holes at 25 mph on a bicycle you are in for a nasty spill and then a car will run you over as you lay there. The failure of our infrastructure is much more dangerous to cyclists than to car drivers. The city people apparently don't get that (or more likely don't care) as they don't ride.<br />
<br />
The repairs we are/were asking for would take a city crew 30-45 minutes to patch. Now granted the city may need to check on the patches after a rain but we don't have to worry about that for 5 months and then about 3 x a year. In the meantime a serous injury could easily have been prevented. But instead the condition still exists as of this posting. Sure we understand that it takes months and years to play catchup after "ignoring" road decay problems for years (well ignoring with money, not with lip service especially during campaigns). But we are asking for a temporary fix. Apparently the city does not care enough about public safety to make a 30 minute fix. We are too "busy" go away. Well the people that run this website are too busy as well but we find the time when it comes to issues like this.<br />
<br />
So given that calls and votes do nothing, emails are destroyed or never "found" we feel that our website must do the only responsible thing it can...notify the public of the situation and its attempts to get it fixed by city leaders and staffers. We take this stuff very seriously as hitting the pavement with your face at 25 mph hurts a lot. If using this website to call attention to this problem in this way is what we have to do to get it fixed, then so be it. That is what the web is for. We don't want any government agencies to be able to use the very effective <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10916169853796909627" target="_blank">"no one ever told us" defense</a>, which unfortunately works very well and the government agencies use it very effectively every day. They have for years. Well that won't work here in this situation that's for sure. Because once someone gets hurt on this street they will google it and guess what a bonanza they will find in this posting. Hopefully it will yield punitive damages as well where the government agency's employees have demonstrated a "conscious disregard" for safety. Only then will government entities (and their employees) learn to to act properly and promptly in the face of dangerous conditions reported to them.<br />
<br />
Our emails and their recipients are set forth below. The two responses were mostly meaningless and not to the point (as set forth above) and we don't want to further embarrass the senders at this point in this forum. Again the point is we told them what to do, how to fix it, where it was and why it was dangerous. Nothing else matters after that given the cost to repair is negligible.<br />
<br />
From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Lakewood Accountability Action Group</b> <span dir="ltr"><updates@laag.us></span><br />
Date: Sun, Jun 1, 2014 at 11:34 AM<br />
Subject: Re: Fwd: Street problems<br />
To:
Tito Haes <thaes@ci.azusa.ca.us>, Vera Mendoza
<vmendoza@ci.azusa.ca.us>, francesdelach@ci.azusa.ca.us, Candy
Toscano <ctoscano@ci.azusa.ca.us>, Fran Delach
<fdelach@ci.azusa.ca.us><br />
Cc: Walter Allen City Council Covina
CA <wallen@covinaca.gov>, "John C. King, Mayor Pro Tem, City of
Covina" <jking@covinaca.gov>, "Peggy Delach, Mayor, City of
Covina" <pdelach@covinaca.gov>, transportation@covinaca.gov<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: small;">
Unfortunately once again local cities need to be reminded of their
obligation to keep roads in good condition. Every Saturday (for that
last 20 years) hundreds of bicycle riders head eastbound on the south
side of E. Arrow highway to make a left turn on Northbound Cerritos Ave.
Every sat. All year. (and yes thank you Azusa for repaving Cerritos
Ave upon our request after 30 years of neglect) The section of Arrow
Hwy from S. Azusa Ave to Cerritos Ave has a number of areas where large
chunks of asphalt have been broken out of the surface due mainly to the
roadway slowly disintegrating. If the city feels that it does not need
to spend sizeable portions of its budget every year keeping its roads
properly resurfaced (due to years of failure to do this maint.), then it
needs to run a monthly or weekly "road patch team" over all its roads
to insure potholes and other road defects are fixed rapidly. If a
bicycle hits one of these potholes there will very likely be a crash of
10 or more people given the size of the group that takes up most of the
entire 2 eastbound lanes of E Arrow Hwy.. Im just making you aware of
this now in writing so you cant later deny you did know of the dangerous
condition. That way when you get sued this email will show up. It
completely baffles me how derelict cities are in their ethical and legal
responsibilities instead relying on the "oh we never new about it
defense" well thats gone now. No more excuses. I like to call it
"municipal malpractice".</div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
It appears that that section of
Arrow Hwy is divided between Covina and Azusa. (yet another opportunity
cities use to dodge responsibility) I have to assume that Covina has
responsibility for the south half of the road but can't be sure from
google maps. Thats your problem to figure out between the two of you.
However just to be sure I have put both cities on notice.</div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
This is a major east/west
thoroughfare and so it deserves some attention. "Properly" fixing the 10
more so problem areas in this road section mentioned above will take a
few hours of city worker time. And most have the time apparently. <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-street-services-workers-20140523-story.html" target="_blank">http://www.latimes.com/local/<wbr></wbr>lanow/la-me-ln-street-<wbr></wbr>services-workers-20140523-<wbr></wbr>story.html</a></div>
<br />
<div style="font-size: small;">
I have to chuckle when I see blatant bicycle promotion like this <a href="http://www.covinaca.gov/images/webuser/PublicWorks/Transportation/Covina_-_Info-post_-_Bikestation_-_04.10.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.covinaca.gov/<wbr></wbr>images/webuser/PublicWorks/<wbr></wbr>Transportation/Covina_-_Info-<wbr></wbr>post_-_Bikestation_-_04.10.pdf</a><br />
then a total failure to ensure good roadway conditions to use those very
bikes. Remember for those of you that dont ride costly road bikes..the
contact patch of most bicycle road tires is about the side of a quarter
or less so think about that when doing roadway repairs/upgrades. Use
this as a handy guide as to the roadway surface quality that bicycles
require <a href="http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/oppd/hdm/pdf/chp1000.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/oppd/<wbr></wbr>hdm/pdf/chp1000.pdf</a></div>
<br clear="all" />
From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Lakewood Accountability Action Group</b> <span dir="ltr"><updates@laag.us></span><br />
Date: Mon, Jun 2, 2014 at 10:15 AM<br />
Subject: Re: Fwd: Street problems<br />
To: Alex Gonzalez <AGonzalez@covinaca.gov><br />
Cc:
Tito Haes <thaes@ci.azusa.ca.us>, James Makshanoff
<jmakshanoff@ci.azusa.ca.us>, Monica Vargas
<MVargas@covinaca.gov>, Mayor Pro Tem John King
<JKing@covinaca.gov>, Peggy Delach <PDelach@covinaca.gov>,
City of Covina Transportation Division
<transportation@covinaca.gov>, Walter Allen
<wallen@covinaca.gov>, Kalieh Honish <khonish@covinaca.gov>,
Daryl Parrish <dparrish@covinaca.gov><br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: small;">
We totally support bicycle infrastructure "creation". But over the years
we have noticed there there seems to be more enthusiasm for "new"
projects (maybe as a way to get votes, who knows) and less enthusiasm
for "maintaining" what is already in place as that again is "boring" and
not viewed as much by voters as a reason to vote for a candidate. Also
when a new project is created there never seems to be a set aside to
maintain that project over the next hundred years. I keep telling
cities. Take the money from the feds. (11% chance of passing) <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr3978?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">https://www.govtrack.us/<wbr></wbr>congress/bills/113/hr3978?utm_<wbr></wbr>campaign=govtrack_email_<wbr></wbr>update&utm_source=govtrack/<wbr></wbr>email_update&utm_medium=email</a>
But the feds are guilty of the same problem. Only money for new stuff
not fixing and maintaining old. Unfortunately with local govt we voters
have found that using the stick approach works better than the carrot.
We also find out only after prodding that much of this work re maint
going on behind the scenes and is never posted on the website. It also
crawls at a snails pace compared to most things. Post a chart with all
the sections of all major streets and when they are due for resurfacing
or when last resurfaced. I know that usually exists. just hidden from
view? why? The internet is a (mostly) free resource. Use it for REAL
info dissemination.</div>
<br />
-- <br />
Sincerely,<br />
on behalf of<br />
LAAG's Active Voting Constituents<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Lakewood Accountability Action Group</b> <span dir="ltr"><updates@laag.us></span><br />
Date: Sat, Jun 21, 2014 at 6:46 PM<br />
Subject: Re: Street pothole problems [emergency maint needed]<br />
To:
Tito Haes <thaes@ci.azusa.ca.us>, Vera Mendoza
<vmendoza@ci.azusa.ca.us>, Candy Toscano
<ctoscano@ci.azusa.ca.us>, "Joseph R. Rocha, Mayor city of Azusa"
<jrocha@ci.azusa.ca.us>, "Juana Hernandez, city of Azusa"
<jhernandez@ci.azusa.ca.us>, "Jeff Ferre, City attorney City of
Azusa" <Jeff.Ferre@bbklaw.com><br />
Cc: Walter Allen City Council
Covina CA <wallen@covinaca.gov>, "John C. King, Mayor Pro Tem,
City of Covina" <jking@covinaca.gov>, "Peggy Delach, Mayor, City
of Covina" <pdelach@covinaca.gov>, transportation Dept City of
covina <transportation@covinaca.gov>, citymanager@covinaca.gov,
mwalczak@covinaca.gov, mayor@covinaca.gov, pw@covinaca.gov,
"William.Priest, city atty City of Covina"
<William.Priest@bbklaw.com><br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: small;">
All:</div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
Just
rode this section of roadway again today. Problems start at the Lowes
sign on E. Arrow Hwy and go east in the #2 lane to Cerritos Ave. (see
below for more detail)</div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
I really don't know why this is
not fixed yet (after 18 days written notice which was acknowledged).
this an item that does not need budgeting (so I don't want to hear that
excuse) and takes 30-60 minutes of employee time. this is routine repair
that needs to be expedited as it involves public safety.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
Failure to get this fixed is a "conscious disregard of bicycle rider
safety" and should someone get hurt I would tell them to sue the city
for punitive damages. Thats right. look it up. Ask the city attorney how
that works</div>
<br />
From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Lakewood Accountability Action Group</b> <span dir="ltr"><updates@laag.us></span><br />
Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2014 at 12:32 PM<br />
Subject: Re: Street pothole problems [emergency maint needed]<br />
To:
Tito Haes <thaes@ci.azusa.ca.us>, Vera Mendoza
<vmendoza@ci.azusa.ca.us>, Candy Toscano
<ctoscano@ci.azusa.ca.us>, "Joseph R. Rocha, Mayor city of Azusa"
<jrocha@ci.azusa.ca.us>, "Juana Hernandez, city of Azusa"
<jhernandez@ci.azusa.ca.us>, "Jeff Ferre, City attorney City of
Azusa" <Jeff.Ferre@bbklaw.com><br />
Cc: Walter Allen City Council
Covina CA <wallen@covinaca.gov>, "John C. King, Mayor Pro Tem,
City of Covina" <jking@covinaca.gov>, "Peggy Delach, Mayor, City
of Covina" <pdelach@covinaca.gov>, transportation Dept City of
covina <transportation@covinaca.gov>, citymanager@covinaca.gov,
mwalczak@covinaca.gov, mayor@covinaca.gov, pw@covinaca.gov,
"William.Priest, city atty City of Covina"
<William.Priest@bbklaw.com><br />
<br />
Your funding problems solved. <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9_Bj3gPzypHTDZkR3p0SGtmUFE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">see attached</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
<a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=LakewoodAccountabilityActionGroupLaagWwwlaagusLakewoodCa" target="_blank">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-70935694697652637902014-07-11T18:34:00.000-07:002014-07-11T18:38:08.927-07:00The last day to submit FCC comment on network neutrality is July 15 2014<br />
The last day to submit FCC comment on network neutrality is July 15 2014. This is it folks. If you want blogs and small non corporate websites to have a chance to make a difference in the world this is it. Tell the FCC's Tom Wheeler than corporate greed is not ok and that he should look out for us, the ones he is sworn to protect, not his country club buddies from the cable industry that spewed him forth (We are aghast at the fact Obama appointed him). Yes Mr Wheeler <a href="http://digg.com/video/the-best-net-neutrality-video" target="_blank">you are a Dingo watching our baby.</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkjkQ-wCZ5A" target="_blank">Wheeler disagrees</a><br />
<br />
You can make a comment <a href="http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/upload/begin?procName=14-28&filedFrom=X" target="_blank">here</a>. Email address not required. This is your last chance to tell the FCC what you think. This is more effective than writing to Congress. After this they have to finalize the rules to deal with <a href="http://www.freepress.net/blog/2014/01/15/net-neutrality-court-case-decoded" target="_blank">this defeat </a>(thanks again to the Supremes)
you can also send an e-mail to make your opinion known at openinternet@fcc.govr or direct a tweet to Wheeler @TomWheelerFCC<br />
<br />
These are <a href="http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/proceeding/view?name=14-28" target="_blank">all the comments so far</a> (205,000) This is the <a href="http://www.fcc.gov/document/fact-sheet-protecting-and-promoting-open-internet" target="_blank">FCC press release</a> as of may 15 calling for comment. <br />
<br />
Other good background info: <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/15-predictions-future-internet/" target="_blank">PBS on the future</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2014/07/43787-kickstarter-fcc-support-open-internet/" target="_blank">Kickstarter </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-12/fcc-chair-backtracks-a-little-on-net-neutrality-rules" target="_blank">Businessweek: Wheeler Backtracks</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/5/2/5665890/beyond-net-neutrality-the-new-battle-for-the-future-of-the-internet" target="_blank">Vox: Beyond Net Neutrality</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/5/8/5694762/fcc-chair-faces-pressure-to-rethink-weak-network-neutrality-rules" target="_blank">Vox: Pressure on FCC</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.vox.com/cards/network-neutrality/whats-network-neutrality" target="_blank">Vox: What is neutrality</a><br />
<br />
And Last but not least, <a href="http://scrawford.net/the-book-captive-audience/" target="_blank">Susan Crawford's Book on the issue</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
<a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=LakewoodAccountabilityActionGroupLaagWwwlaagusLakewoodCa" target="_blank">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-32482804584789479192014-07-11T10:56:00.002-07:002014-07-11T10:56:56.951-07:00State Water Resources Control Board Prohibition of Activities and Mandatory Actions During Drought EmergencyThe State Water Resources Control Board is putting teeth into its drought restrictions. This will affect Lakewood. <a href="http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/docs/emergency_regulations/proposed_emergency_regulations_urban_water_conservation_drought.pdf" target="_blank">Read the regulations</a> or go to the <a href="http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/emergency_regulations_waterconservation.shtml" target="_blank">homepage for the State Water Board Drought Year Water Action.</a> Vote to take place July 15, 2014 <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA | A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ |
<a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=LakewoodAccountabilityActionGroupLaagWwwlaagusLakewoodCa" target="_blank">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-43034848413348366732014-07-07T10:49:00.000-07:002014-07-07T10:51:01.038-07:00Lakewood is correct in opposing a California Assembly resolution which seeks to eliminate the ability of cities to outsource servicesThe City of Lakewood is <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/city-627336-lakewood-sacramento.html" target="_blank">opposing</a> this <a href="http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140HR29" target="_blank">California Assembly resolution</a> (also reprinted below as of this posting; House Resolution No. 29) which seeks to eliminate the ability of cities to outsource services, including law enforcement and fire. The problem of course is that those two services are just provided for other government bureaucracies (LASheriffs Dept.; LACoFire) so there is no threat to government unions. Don't fret Assembly Democrats. Now as for trash services and street sweeping etc, as the <a href="http://www.laag.us/2014/06/water-and-trash-service-rate-increase.html" target="_blank">recent price increase in Lakewood suggests,</a> we need to make sure there is full transparency at the city level for all services provided. Transparency heads off problems (like this Assembly resolution) but people at the city of Lakewood try their hardest to keep things "hidden" in plain view. ["oh you can always come into the clerk's office and ask to see a document"...yeah like voters have the time, energy and know how to do that...they can't even find time to vote!] All documents regarding outside contracting need to be posted on the city's website. <a href="http://www.laag.us/2011/02/lakewood-transparency-in-local.html" target="_blank">How many times have we brought this up?</a> What are you afraid of [Lakewood City Council] if someone sees an outside services contract? All those contracts should have a clause in them that says they are to be web posted as well as all documents that relate to the contract. Don't like that Mr. Contractor then don't contract with the city. Can you imagine how much Lakewood services would cost (i.e. taxes) if we had to pay government union level benefits and wages to all service providers? We are already paying outrageous sums to "grass cutters" for parks and center medians vs what private contractors would likely cost. This <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9_Bj3gPzypHOXhlaHd5VUR6UG8/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">resolution is opposed by cities and of course supported by bloated over priced public unions</a> who are bankrupting the state. This Assembly resolution needs to be stopped...now. And they way to do it is with more transparency.<br />
<br />
Amended IN Assembly April 03, 2014
Amended IN Assembly March 13, 2014
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2013–2014 REGULAR SESSION
House Resolution No. 29<br />
<br />
Introduced by Assembly Member Gomez
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Alejo, Ammiano, Atkins, Bloom, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Buchanan, Campos, Chau, Chesbro, Dababneh, Dickinson, Fong, Frazier, Gatto, Gonzalez, Hall, Roger Hernández, Holden, Jones-Sawyer, Lowenthal, Nazarian, Pan, John A. Pérez, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Weber, Wieckowski, Williams, and Yamada)<br />
<br />
February 04, 2014
Relative to outsourcing public services.<br />
<br />
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HR 29, as amended, Gomez.<br />
<br />
WHEREAS, Public services and assets are the fabric that binds our communities together. They are also a ladder to the middle class; and
WHEREAS, Faced with severe budget problems in the wake of the Great Recession, state and local governments across America are handing over control of public services and assets to corporations that promise to operate them better, faster, and cheaper; and
WHEREAS, Outsourcing these services and assets often fails to keep these promises, and too often it undermines transparency, accountability, and shared prosperity and competition - the underpinnings of democracy itself; and
WHEREAS, Outsourcing means that taxpayers have less say over how future tax dollars are spent and have no ability to vote out executives who make decisions that could harm the public interest; and
WHEREAS, Outsourcing means taxpayers are often contractually limited to a single for-profit corporation; and
WHEREAS, Outsourcing frequently means that wages and benefits for public service workers fall and the local economy suffers while corporate profits rise. The Center for American Progress Action Fund has found that of the 5.4 million people working for federal service contractors in 2008, an estimated 80 percent earned below the living wage for their city or region. For-profit corporations are three times more likely than the public sector to employ workers at poverty-threshold wages; and two million private sector employees working for federal contractors earn less than $12 an hour - too little to support a family. That is more low wage workers than are employed by McDonald’s and WalMart combined; and
WHEREAS, Outsourcing means that taxpayers often no longer know how their tax dollars are being spent. Meetings and records that used to be open to the public can become proprietary information when corporations take over; and
WHEREAS, The Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda is one model that may help ensure transparency, accountability, shared prosperity, and competition in the operation of public services and assets; and
WHEREAS, Planks in the Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda would require governments to post information about their contracts online and require contractors to open their books to the public, ensure that governments have the capacity to adequately oversee contracts, to cancel contracts that fail to deliver on their promises, prohibit law breaking companies from getting government contracts, require contractors to pay their employees living wages and benefits, require competitive bidding on contracts that guarantee company profits at the expense of taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, Recent polling shows that taxpayers oppose the outsourcing of public services and assets to for-profit companies and support these common sense controls to ensure that their interests are protected; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly opposes outsourcing of public services and assets, which harms transparency, accountability, shared prosperity, and competition, and supports processes that give public service workers the opportunity to develop their own plan on how to deliver cost-effective, high-quality services; and be it further
Resolved, That the Assembly urges local officials to become familiar with the provisions of the Taxpayer Empowerment Agenda; and be it further
Resolved, That the Assembly intends to introduce and advocate for responsible outsourcing legislation; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
<a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1026128&loc=en_US">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-61012521215608906272014-07-02T15:40:00.000-07:002015-04-23T15:38:31.804-07:00Using private email for official government business may finally be ended in Californiaupdate: This problem is <a href="https://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/mayor-kevin-johnson-his/content?oid=16919316" target="_blank">still widespread in 2015 in many cities</a>. This has to stop. It may take Hillary Clinton down. <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/03/hillary-clinton-email-server" target="_blank">This story</a> is flabbergasting.<br />
<br />
Interestingly its only taken 4 years for this issue to finally come to a head after <a href="http://www.laag.us/2011/02/why-public-official-city-email.html" target="_blank">we first raised the issue</a> in 2011. The problem is simply that of public officials elected and otherwise using private non government email addresses for official government business and communications (with residents..or worse) as a way to "coyly" avoid Public Records requests laws. Its an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_White_House_email_controversy" target="_blank">old Karl Rove trick from 2007</a> (which may have been where local politicos learned it). But the law looks like it may finally be catching up with the politicos who like to play fast and loose on this. <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-California/2014/06/30/Cal-Supreme-Court-to-Decide-If-Private-Emails-Are-Public-Records" target="_blank">This article</a> (by <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/tag/taxdollars/chriss-street" target="_blank">Chriss Street</a> no less) notes that the California Supremes are going to be taking up the issue and given California's penchant for "Sunshine", city and local government politicos hiding their emails in private email accounts better start cleaning up their email accounts now (time to purge!). You will note that <i>unlike</i> most small cities, the Lakewood city council members do NOT have their own email addresses @lakewoodcity.org. Hmmm how interesting. Even if they did have emails @lakewoodcity.org they are not <a href="http://www.lakewoodcity.org/council_n_coms/lakewood_city_council.asp" target="_blank">published anywhere</a> to be found. <br />
<br />
Our simple solution
to the problem posed by the League of California Cities faux dilemma (<a href="http://www.cacities.org/Resources-Documents/Member-Engagement/Professional-Departments/City-Attorneys/Library/2014/Smith-v-City-of-San-Jose_Letter-Opposing-Petition" target="_blank">in its opposition letter to the California Supremes</a>) is not to allow elected officials and employees of government
entities use non government email accounts to send and receive email messages (and attachments!) that pertain to government or taxpayer related business or issues. If the official errors on the side of inclusion and there is something personal on the government e mail
server we let the government public records code sort that out. Its more than capable of doing that. We agree its too hard to police and store and get access to
private email. That's one of the reasons the government officials want to use it and why we don't want them to. But that is no excuse to just allow officials to keep bypassing the open government problem Karl Rove style. If a government official
receives a government related email on his private email account he/she just forwards that
to his/her government email account and then responds (if necessary) with the government account. This can also be set up to take place automatically. All smartphones
allow multiple domain emails on one phone. If you cant handle that then
you have no business using email. Gmail allows you on the fly to select
which domain and which email you want to reply from. This is simple
people. Pay attention old fogies on the Calif Supreme court! Time for the email shuffle to end and evading public records requests. This is not a technological problem. Its just a "problem" that local government officials don't want fixed.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
<a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1026128&loc=en_US">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-5616557498063130882014-06-06T13:54:00.002-07:002014-06-11T17:23:32.706-07:00water and trash service rate increase hearing at Lakewood City Council Chambers on June 24, 2014 at 7:30 pm<br />
Just so that everyone is aware there is a water and trash service rate increase hearing at Lakewood City Council Chambers on June 24, 2014 at 7:30 pm. You must object to the rate increase before that time in writing (presumably to the Lakewood city clerk at <a href="mailto:dhayward@lakewoodcity.org"><span class="gI">dhayward@lakewoodcity.org</span></a> not to our site) which will be much more effective that rambling on at the meeting. (we find that communicating with the City is much more effective if done in writing so that there is a paper trail) In classic Lakewood "non transparency" style no information whatsoever has been posted about this rate increase (on www.lakewoodcity.org) as of this posting (and the city has been planning this since at least March 2014). We made the following public records request to the city this week and we will try (if we get a timely response from Lakewood) to post what we get back (if anything) on this site. We need this information well in advance of 6/22/14 so that we can respond
to the proposed increase in writing before the 6/24/14 hearing. Hopefully with the new "bolstering" of the California Constitution and the Public Records Act under the <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_42,_Compliance_of_Local_Agencies_with_Public_Records_%282014%29#Text_of_measure" target="_blank">recently passed Proposition 42</a> (on June 3, 2014) we can expect to see local government entities give a little bit more respect to public records act requests.<br />
<br />
Here is what we were seeking in the public records request: <br />
<br />
1. copies of all staff reports or 3rd party reports and all attachments regarding the rate increase and its need and or justifications<br />
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2. Any surveys, studies or any other documentation showing water and trash rates in any other cities done at any time in the last two years<br />
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3. communications to / from the Edco trash/waste company wherein they justify and or explain the need for a price or rate increase<br />
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4. Any proposed amendments to the Lakewood municipal code regarding the rate increase<br />
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5. Any forms or rules proposed for protests to the rate increase<br />
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<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
<a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1026128&loc=en_US">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-16236977021274889092013-10-25T11:26:00.002-07:002013-11-30T14:17:18.232-08:00Swarming Helicopters over Lakewood 10/24/13This is what we want to know. The Press Telegram article with the details is below (posted only about 15 hours late). The arrest was at 3:40 pm. Ok so far so good. Now there were at least two news helicopters (the high up hovering helicopters) and at least 2-3 low flying circling helicopters. One was black the other the green and gold Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) copter. The news helicopters left soon after the 3:40pm arrest, but the low flying helicopters did not stop circling until after 5pm. So if the arrest was at 3:40 pm (and that would seem correct based on the times below) why did the law enforcement helicopters keep circling for hours? Nothing else to do? Advertising to taxpayers what a great job LASD is doing keeping taxpayers safe from "felony" shoplifters on motorcycles? (I guess all the excessive force lawsuits in and out of the jails have made LASD over sensitive to this issue) Do taxpayers really need all these helicopters for an "accused" shoplifter? And this is not the first time helicopter hovering has been a problem. Just the first time we felt compelled to post something about it due to its excessiveness. I think LASD might as well just move to drones. At least they are quieter.<br />
<br />
I guess the noise is only important to Westside and San Fernando Valley Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, as <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/11/la-county-backs-restriction-of-low-flying-helicopters.html" target="_blank">he did something about it</a>.<br />
<br />
As a follow up here is a <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/30/world/europe/scotland-helicopter-crash/" target="_blank">small reminder</a> why the risks of hovering over homes is outweighed by any marginal benefit in hour upon hour of hovering <br />
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Posted: 10/25/13, 6:43 AM PDT | http://www.presstelegram.com/general-news/20131025/irvine-motorcycle-chase-of-theft-suspect-hits-speeds-of-120-mph-ends-in-lakewood-arrest<br />
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A motorcycle rider suspected of stealing property who led law enforcement officers on a two-county chase at speeds up to 120 mph Thursday was arrested in Lakewood.
California Highway Patrol officers picked up the pursuit about 3:15 p.m. on the San Diego (405) Freeway in Irvine, CHP Officer Denise Quesada said.
Lt. Julia Engen said Irvine police were assisting Huntington Beach officers, who were investigating a series of property thefts that led them to the Irvine Spectrum shopping center.
The motorcyclist aroused the suspicions of police officers, who tried to stop the suspect, Engen said.
The pursuit continued through the streets of Irvine and back onto the San Diego Freeway to the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway toward Los Angeles County, Quesada said.
An Orange County sheriff’s helicopter helped track the pursuit, because the rider was going so fast, Quesada said.
<b>At 3:40 p.m., Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies in Lakewood arrested the suspect at 6038 Amos Ave</b>., sheriff’s Lt. Martin Rodriguez said.
The man, whose name was unavailable, was wanted for felony theft, Rodriguez said.<br />
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<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
<a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1026128&loc=en_US">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-63777298909943718942013-07-05T12:51:00.000-07:002013-07-05T15:48:34.870-07:00Lakewood, CA Fireworks Report July 2013<br />
It has been 7 years since the <a href="http://www.laag.us/2007/03/one-year-anniversary-of-dunrobin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">explosion on Dunrobin</a> and apparently memories have faded for all the good reasons to sell fireworks in Lakewood (and all the neighboring co-conspiring cities): <br />
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1. To <a href="http://www.lbreport.com/news/jul13/jul5.htm" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">piss off all the people in Long Beach</a> that thought they were safe from Lakewood's mania.. <br />
<br />
2. To ensure that slave labor children in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/sep/05/firework-factory-explosion-india-video" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">India</a> and <a href="http://qz.com/99489/us-independence-day-fireworks-brought-to-you-by-china/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">China</a> continue to be gainfully employed with full OSHA safety regulations protecting them..<br />
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3. To make sure <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/05/us-usa-california-fireworks-idUSBRE9640FC20130705" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">safety</a> is <a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/en/Newsroom/News-Releases/2013/New-CPSC-Fireworks-Injury-Data/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">job 1</a>
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4. Fireworks never <a href="http://yubanet.com/california/Illegal-Fireworks-Burns-Carpet-Store-in-South-Los-Angeles-Co-200-000-in-Damage.php#.UdcYyYk2SsM" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">start fires</a> in developed areas!....<br />
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5. To ensure that LA Sheriff's dept. employees get enough overtime to get that new boat.. <br />
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6. To make sure our <a href="http://dogs.about.com/od/dogbehaviorproblems/a/fireworks-phobias-in-dogs.htm" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">pets</a> are patriotic as well.<br />
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Long ago we said that if "civic" clubs in Lakewood really wanted to raise some cash (for uniforms!?) they would sell pot. Quite frankly that is much less offensive, toxic and dangerous than fireworks. How many people a year are injured by Pot? (this is not an endorsement of Pot use by the way; we are just making a point). Lakewood might go for that as after all its for a good cause. What you're selling is really not that important if its for a good cause, right?<br />
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Seriously folks we would like to know what is spent on "special" fireworks enforcement and advertising each year versus the <b>net profits</b> the "civic" clubs make on these fireworks sales. I suspect they are close. So the city should just give the money to the clubs and call its a wash.<br />
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Patriotism is not found in Chinese fireworks. Sorry. We had to laugh at a neighbor down the street who (unwittingly) flies a faded flag night a day that is shredded to pieces. Is he patriotic? Veterans and Boy Scouts would say no. But by God he was out there supporting the troops with Chinese fireworks! Amazing. You want to be be patriotic Lakewood residents? There are about 42,000 of you registered to vote in the city and about 3,500 you vote for city council every 4 years (if we even have an election). That is sickening and pathetic. How about starting there. I am going to guess that very few lighting the fireworks in Lakewood voted in the last City Council election.<br />
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We can wait until the <a href="http://www.laag.us/2006/09/pollution-concerns-may-lower-boom-on.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">environmental agencies</a> catch up and <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fireworks4-2008jul04,0,4886525.story" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">overtake</a> the fireworks lobby which has lots of friends in Sacramento. After all who could be against the "essence of Patriotism". Didn't George Washington support fireworks? Let me check Fox News on that... Its like speaking out against NSA "wholesale spying" which keeps you "safe"! So America (Lakewood) light your fireworks and turn on your phone's tracking. Be a proud American. Lets not call them fireworks. Lets call them PatriotBombs! (<a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/352432/free-justin-carter-now-charles-c-w-cooke" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">oh on second thought maybe not...)</a> lol...<br />
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<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
<a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1026128&loc=en_US">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-2481934269063745502013-05-21T11:55:00.001-07:002015-11-15T17:38:21.750-08:00US Supreme Court takes up issue of using prayers to open city council meetings<br />
We have to say this has always been a pet peeve of ours among the many "practices", informal or otherwise, that Lakewood uses in its meetings. Hopefully this "practice" will soon go away as well. We have never understood why people insist on injecting their particular brand of religion into government. I say lets open with the pledge of allegiance (to the USA of course). That I support. But paying homage to one "brand" or "formulation" of religion? No thanks. Go to church and pray 12 times a week. Pray at home before the meeting. Pray to yourself before the meeting starts. Hell sit in a group in the audience and pray silently while holding hands up in the air. But don't make me have to sit there and listen to your version of a prayer recited in my face and sanctioned (hell even promoted) by the city council. And its televised no less (while public comments are not...hmm how convenient). This is nothing more than city council member pandering to their Christian religious bases (the same 2500 people that vote for them every time). The "open a government meeting with a prayer" routine is much more offensive and much more violative than prayer in schools as its literally the government itself promoting religion, directly and in your face, in conjunction with the governmental legislative process. This is why there are so many problems with the new governments in Egypt, Libya and Iraq; the "religious majority" wants to shut the religious minority out of a say in their own government altogether. Its a huge problem. Its why government needs to remain secular and religion should not become or "run" government. Also lets not get into the whole "religious history" of the founding fathers. Suffice it to say most did not practice "today's version of evangelical Christianity". But I'll leave that for the "revisionist" history writers.<br />
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The US Supreme Court <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3753205298956949348&hl=en&as_sdt=2006" target="_blank">sadly decided</a> this was not a problem in May 2014.<br />
<br />
As was aptly stated abut this matter recently in the NY Times:<br />
<br />
Legislative Prayer<br />
<br />
The case concerning prayers, <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13574198750186036788&q=Galloway+v.+Town+of+Greece&hl=en&as_sdt=2003" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Town of Greece v. Galloway, No. 12-696</a>, came from Greece, a town near Rochester. For more than a decade starting in 1999, the town board began its public meetings with a prayer from a “chaplain of the month.” Town officials said that members of all faiths and atheists were welcome to give the opening prayer.
In practice, the federal appeals court in New York said, almost all of the chaplains were Christian.
“A substantial majority of the prayers in the record contained uniquely Christian language,” Judge Guido Calabresi wrote for a <b>unanimous three-judge panel</b> of the court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. <b>“Roughly two-thirds contained references to ‘Jesus Christ,’ ‘Jesus,’ ‘Your Son’ or the ‘Holy Spirit.'”</b>
Two town residents sued, saying the prayers ran afoul of the First Amendment’s prohibition of the government establishment of religion. The appeals court agreed. “The town’s prayer practice must be viewed as an endorsement of a particular religious viewpoint,” Judge Calabresi wrote.<br />
<br />
In 1983, in Marsh v. Chambers, the Supreme Court upheld the Nebraska Legislature’s practice of opening its legislative sessions with an invocation from a paid Presbyterian minister, saying that such ceremonies were <b>“deeply embedded in the history and tradition of this country.”</b>
David Cortman, a lawyer for the town, said its practices were consistent with that tradition. “Americans today should be as free as the founders were to pray,” he said in a statement.<b> “The founders prayed while drafting our Constitution’s Bill of Rights.” </b><i>(LAAG Editor: Perhaps (I was not there) but did they pray openly as an official start to the meeting or silently? Which religion? Also note this was BEFORE the first amendment was finalized and adopted and interpreted; perhaps the prayer gave them the inspiration to have the first amendment leave the prayer out?; also keep in mind these are the same guys that owned slaves yet wrote "...all men are created equal..." etc.)
</i><b>
</b>The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the group behind the lawsuit, said the Supreme Court should bar prayers in governmental settings like town meetings.
<b>
“A town council meeting isn’t a church service, and it shouldn’t seem like one,”</b> he said in a statement. “Government can’t serve everyone in the community when it endorses one faith over others. That sends the clear message that some are second-class citizens based on what they believe about religion.”
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<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
<a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1026128&loc=en_US">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-42012159269292969922013-04-21T10:40:00.000-07:002013-04-21T10:42:00.946-07:00Boston Bombings demonstrate that all cities need to deploy city wide (emergency) wi fiGiven the fact that many people in Boston after the bombings last week were left without any way of communicating with loved ones due to either <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57579712-94/cell-service-hit-in-boston-following-bombings/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">cell phone system overload</a> (and or the now likely inaccurate rumor that the system was switched off for fear of it being used to trigger other bombs), it has become quite apparent that a realistic wi-fi strategy is needed so that people could at least text and or use social networking sites like twitter or facebook to stay in touch with loved ones (and emergency responders) after a catastrophe. In many cases with the right applications people with smartphones can also make calls on wifi using their smartphone. The point is the time has come for cities to take this issue seriously and get the ball rolling now well before our next disaster. LAAG is <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2417956,00.asp" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">not the only one to call for this</a>. We looked up "wi-fi" on the Lakewood website and as we figured there was absolutely nothing on the Lakewood website about it. We would be encouraged if we saw some minutes or agenda items on this but alas nothing.<br />
<br />
The reason we are so disappointed is that Lakewood spends millions of taxpayer dollars on LASD stations being remodeled (and over $9 million a year for the services themselves) and we even spent tons of taxpayer dollars on an LASD "motor home" that is supposed to act as some sort of a command center in an emergency but is likely now just used at LASD picnics. The State, county and cities have also upgraded communications at all levels for first responders, but alas nothing for you little unimportant taxpayers. We also have one councilmember who is a high ranking LASD official and a new council member that works for Calif Emergency Management Agency (state version of FEMA) <i>(Cal EMA's "mission" is to protect lives and property by effectively preparing for, preventing, responding to and recovering from all threats, crimes, hazards, and emergencies.")</i> So one would think that they had thought of the wifi issue. But alas no sign of such thoughts. Isn't this what we pay these people (very well) for? To think about things like disasters? God knows they heap enough praise, taxpayer money and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXFq9YBFnks" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">telecommunications equipment</a> on LASD regarding these "issues". I think its time for Lakewood city council think about the rest of us who likely will need to rely on (communicating with) loved ones to get us through a disaster (like a large earthquake). And there are <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/04/open-wireless-movement" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">many ways to get this done</a>.<br />
<br />
So its time to get moving on this now! And yes Lakewood has the money! We just spent $750,000.00 (you read right) to resurface the Lakewood swimming pool! (only one bid by the way..so much for competitive bidding!)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
<a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1026128&loc=en_US">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-109235149029795092013-03-08T11:33:00.002-08:002013-03-08T14:40:16.111-08:00Last Chance to Protest the Los Angeles County Clean Water, Clean Beaches hearing March 12, 2013The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will hear comments on the proposed Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure on<b> Tuesday, March 12, at 9:30am. </b>The hearing will take place during the Board's regular meeting in the Board Hearing Room at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 West Temple St. Los Angeles, 90012. The Board meeting will be webcast live via the LA County website at www.LACounty.info. Requests to address the Board on this item must be submitted in person to the Executive Officer of the Board prior to the item being called.<br />
<br />
If you live in Knabe's district just email their office before the hearing and they will likely make sure you end up on the speakers list; or better yet just email your written protest to their office (<b>AskDon@lacbos.org</b>) and <b>WQFI.Info@dpw.lacounty.gov</b> as well as the scanned form available <a href="http://knabe.com/_dev/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/LACWCB_Ballona-Creek-Watershed-Notice.pdf" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">here</a>.
Actually all you need to do is send in that scanned form to effectively register your protest vote. To be counted, protest forms must be received by the end of the public hearing period on March 12 and include the <i>parcel's site address, Assessor's Parcel Number, the name of the parcel owner, as well as the signature of the parcel owner or an authorized representative</i>. Only scanned or photographed email protests with a handwritten signature will be accepted.<br />
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This is likely your last chance. The Board is likely going to "punt" at this hearing and make a decision on what to do with this mess that LA County Dept of Public Works dumped in their lap. The "no" votes are still no where near the 50% of all parcels needed to stop this under the very poorly drafted Proposition 218 (Its quite frankly amazing that the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn drafted 218 with such horrible anti taxpayer provisions)
Really the only way this can be stopped at this point is for the Board to do away with the attempt to use the Prop. 218 method of "voting" and put this to a general election. Otherwise the taxpayers have no chance. Very sad day for LA County Taxpayers. We are about to get fleeced so get your wallets ready. This is actually worse than the FEMA imposed flood insurance mandates (that heavily hit residents in Lakewood and Long Beach) in the early 1990's. That flood insurance mandate only affected 1/10th of the residents this new measure will affect. And the FEMA insurance deal was temporary. This new tax will last forever.<br />
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For more on Prop 218 and the rest of this saga read our <a href="http://www.laag.us/2013/01/observations-from-clean-water-clean.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">prior post</a>
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<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
<a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1026128&loc=en_US">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-85722878312457474712013-01-15T18:43:00.000-08:002013-01-15T20:00:52.538-08:00Observations from the Clean Water Clean Beaches tax protest hearing at LA County Board of Superviors Jan 15, 2013<a href="http://www.laag.us/2013/01/unanswered-questions-at-los-angeles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Our prior post on this topic</a><br />
<br />
The meeting <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/111511874879606013454/albums/5833868676675070225?authkey=CJmr1fzLtLzuUg" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">filled just about every seat</a> (video clip) in the massive Hall of Administration Board of Supervisors main hearing room in Downtown Los Angeles. There was overflow seating set up. Everyone was accommodated. The agenda item 40 hearing went from 11 am to 430pm.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bosvideoap.co.la.ca.us/mgasp/lacounty/VideoPlayer_NS.asp?Audio=ENGLISH" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">link to see full video of the hearing</a> (posted in next 5 days)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://file.lacounty.gov/bos/transcripts/transcripts_2013.asp#P-1_0" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">link to read transcript of entire hearing</a> (posted in next 5 days)<br />
<br />
However that's not to say that it was an "easy" process. We were rather frustrated with the screening and searching process just to get into the hearing room. They are far more tedious (slow) than when you get on on airplane or go to court across the street from the Hall of Admin. We were quite perturbed to learn that although we assumed you could not eat in the "Great Hall" you also could not bring food in (this "no food" sign was not visible until you got to the front of a very long line eagerly awaiting their airport style examination). And of course there would be no break for lunch and if you did go to lunch you would loose your place in line or at the hearing. So you could either go home, throw your food out or stack it in a big heap with other peoples food. How nice. Good way to catch the flu.<br />
<br />
Most of the comments were quite boring and usual pedestrian stuff of voters complaining about how much the tax would set them back. But there were a few more eloquent people and a few choice quotes. One was from a math professor who said the "measure was 'polluted' with bullsh_t". Others we liked were: "God has given us rain and you have figured out a way to tax it." The other was "We are drowning in fees not stormwater" Those two comments garnered praise by "meeting chair" Mark Ridley Thomas. Thomas also admonished attendees numerous times not to applaud speakers which quite frankly no one paid any attention to, causing Thomas to state that the taxpayer revolt group was honoring Martin Luther King's memory by invoking "civil disobedience". Oy Vey. <br />
<br />
Over arching themes in all the protest comments were no "sunset provision" (the tax will last forever) and it was "Alice in Wonderland" like to be taxing other public entities. There were also lots of complaints about the "mailer" which no one realized was a "ballot" and threw it out. Also lots of complaints about the fact that there was not specificity at all about any projects that would be built with this money and or how effective they would be in preventing the pollution of the ocean.<br />
<br />
LAAG's position was simply that this Prop 218 "voting mechanism" was not feasible and really was against the drafter's intent. We know the large protest meetings are all dramatic and "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" like but
really they need to work out an <b>on line protest</b> form for under Prop 218 (as some people have to work) or better
just go to a 2/3 regular vote (outside of the prop 218 structure). The problem with 218 is people that don't
vote are counted as "yes" votes in essence as you have to have over 50%
of <span style="background: #ffff66;">all parcel owners</span> vote "no" and that seldom happens especially when the "ballot" looks like "government junk mail". This prop 218 thing is way more complicated that a
"regular" (2/3 vote required) election but it sure does favor the entity that wants to get a tax
passed .[ <i>As a late note we add in some info from our friends over at LBReport.com: </i>"County
staff said that roughly 95,000 written protests were received (<b>roughly
4% of property</b> subject to the proposed parcel property fee) and said
that protests submitted <b>via the internet wouldn't be counted</b>"]<br />
<br />
So if you need to mail in the form here it is again <a href="http://knabe.com/_dev/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/LACWCB_Ballona-Creek-Watershed-Notice.pdf" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Download a new copy.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://assessormap.co.la.ca.us/mapping/viewer.asp" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Locate your Assessor ID Number</a><br />
<br />
Even LAUSD came out against the tax and would be voting "no" for all their 3764 parcels on which they paid property tax. Holy cow that's a lot of property. Remind me to break up that district into smaller chunks. Thomas was quite good at cutting off people that went over a minute, even the "electeds" got cut short. The one minute time limit <b>for all speakers </b>("elected" or not) was clearly needed given the vast numbers of people there. But this along with the room ambiance, the throngs of people, the Board sitting up there, It just had the appearance of the "little people" (to borrow a phrase from Leona Helmsley) coming to make / plead their poverty/tax case to King Louis XVI at the Palace of Versailles.<br />
<br />
The result of the hearing was a good one for taxpayers. Clearly rooms full of protestors has an affect on the "electeds". Late on Jan 15 after the hearing we recived this good news:<br />
<br />
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cheryl Burnett <br />
<br />
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVES KNABE’S CALL FOR EXTENSION OF PROTEST PERIOD FOR CLEAN WATER MEASURE <br />
<br />
Los Angeles, January 15, 2013 – Following the conclusion of the Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure Public Hearing and the testimony of hundreds of concerned stakeholders, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Don Knabe to allow for more time for protesting the proposed parcel tax. <br />
<br />
“We continued to hear complaints from residents, businesses, school districts, churches and non-profits that this process has not been open and transparent,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Even as the Board was hearing testimonies at the public hearing, my office was receiving emails and phone calls from residents asking where they could get a protest form and how they could protest the measure.” <br />
<br />
Supervisor Knabe’s motion, the public hearing and protest process would be extended for an additional 60 days and address several key issues in the process including the feasibility of an online protest option and addressing the concern of double taxation for those that are already capturing and treating storm water. <br />
<br />
“Many property owners and businesses are already doing the things the parcel fees is meant to achieve; this is a double tax for them,” said Knabe. “Renters should have a voice as an increase in parcel fees would likely be passed on to them. Everyone wants clean water – put this to the voters so they can decide if this fee is how they want to try to achieve that.” <br />
<br />
Supervisor Knabe’s motion also instructed the Department of Public Works to provide a process for placing the initiative on a general election ballot, define a specific list of clean water projects, determine a possible sunset date for the measure and develop a potential alternative method of funding storm water quality projects. # # #<br />
<br />
agenda item 40 (at issue in the Jan 15, 2013 hearing) below: <br />
<br />
Public Hearing<br />
40. Hearing on the proposed Clean Water, Clean Beaches Fee; acting as the<br />
Governing Body of the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, consider<br />
all protests against the proposed Clean Water, Clean Beaches Fee made<br />
by owners of parcels upon which the fee is proposed for imposition; instruct<br />
the Director of Public Works, in her capacity as the Chief Engineer, of the<br />
County Flood Control District to return to the Board with a final tabulation of<br />
written protests; if there is no majority protest, instruct the Chief Engineer to<br />
return to the Board at a future date with a recommendation as to the type of<br />
election to conduct on the Clean Water Clean Beaches Fee; if there is a<br />
majority protest, refer the matter back to the Department of Public Works.<br />
(Department of Public Works) (12-5638)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
<a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1026128&loc=en_US">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5484705221854942634.post-49353329436386892852013-01-15T09:54:00.001-08:002013-01-15T21:28:35.900-08:00Unanswered questions at the Los Angeles County Clean Water, Clean Beaches protest hearing January 15, 2013<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/2013/01/getting-ready-to-protest-los-angeles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Read our prior story on this subject</a><br />
<br />
These are the questions that we are taking to the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors meeting on January 15, 2013, to the so called <span id="RDS_GLOBAL"><span id="RDS_article">Clean Water, Clean Beaches "protest hearing", 11 a.m. January 15, 2013, 500 W. Temple St. in downtown Los Angeles. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="RDS_GLOBAL"><span id="RDS_article">We will amend this article and these questions (and hopefully add answers) as time goes by so keep checking back. We are posting it before the hearing and sending it to the supervisors so they can look it over. Each citizen will only be given about one minute to speak at this meeting so clearly that is not enough time to even read this post aloud or let alone get any real answer to these questions below. But we do want these questions answered and we expert the Board to get these answers for us.</span></span><br />
<br />
The County is attempting to get this stormwater run off tax passed by using Proposition 218. This Proposition 218 is very tricky. This is the 1996 initiative that was used to try to prevent government entities from assessing property owners with new fees and trying to escape election requirements. Amazingly the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn put this measure on the 1996 ballot. Proposition 218's very specific liberal construction provision mandates that the provisions of 218<b> "shall be
liberally construed to effectuate its purposes of limiting local
government revenue and enhancing taxpayer consent."</b> But it made things even more murky. It is not at all clear who gets to vote on on the property held by government entities or property with multiple owners or how renters fare in all this. Not resolved at this time as far as we know. We also know that its government or commercial property (at least in inner city areas) that pollutes the most as most of it is paved unlike residential lots. This gets even more tricky as the ballots have to be "weighed" in proportion to the amount of the
assessment each property owner would pay. (For example, if homeowner
Jones would pay twice as much assessment as homeowner Smith, homeowner
Jones' vote would "count" twice as much as homeowner Smith's vote.). Of course this "weighting" gets even trickier with the phoney ways in which they can total up the "run off" and thus assessment on each lot. The
assessment may be imposed only if 50 percent or more of the weighted
ballots support the assessment.This of course favors those voting for the large government properties. We suspect most government entities will vote in favor of the tax, especially if the schools are given a free pass on this.<br />
<br />
The 50% requirement really is laughable as a regular vote for a tax (not using this silly Prop 218 mechanism passed in 1996) is a 2/3 yes vote requirement in order to pass. Also we are still looking into this problem which is even a bigger scam; if Knabe is correct and most people just threw their ballots out as junk mail (we almost did) then the vast majority of private landowners will not be voting. That means the yes (pass the tax) votes automatically win. To defeat the tax we think it has to be 50% of <b>all properties, not just those that vote. </b><br />
<u><i><br /></i></u>
<u><i>There are many other questions we have which are not answered at all or adequately at this time: </i></u><br />
<br />
Can homeowners test their own run off volume and chemicals in that water? And if less than what the county shows in its "formulas" can we get a new assessment as is done for property tax assessments?
<br />
<br />
Formulas are allegedly used to determine impervious land area. We would like to see the report on this particularly as to what the rate will
be per square foot on each lot (residential, commercial, and government owned) and exactly how it is that the County
will determine "the amount of impervious area on the property". What about water from impermeable areas that drains to permeable areas? how is that accounted for? We see a
fiasco there and a whole new "appeals" process for homeowners
disagreeing with the result or people that "capture" run off (very few
residents currently but more likely after this). According to what we
were told by the County Dept of Public works on this: "The amount
average impervious is determined by using <b>nationally accepted data</b> for
residential , commercial and industrial land use..." Accepted by who?<br />
<br />
18% of my prop tax bill is "voted indebtedness" or "direct assessments" on top of my "property tax" assessed amount for the "general tax levy". The general tax levy is the only part subject to Prop 13. The other 18% not subject to prop 13. If this measure passes 21% of my tax bill will be for "voted indebtedness" or "direct assessments" which never end and are never subject to Prop 13. There are three "direct assessments" on my bill that also currently go to county flood districts or county water treatment districts. These assessments alone are currently 8.4% of my overall tax bill. Also these direct assessments are not based on a percentage of the property tax bill. So if you are older and have been in your house a long time and pay low tax rates under prop 13, these assessments are a big deal and consume a larger and larger share of your tax bill the longer you have been in the house.
<br />
<br />
<span id="RDS_GLOBAL"><span id="RDS_article">It is reported that the measure would raise about $295 million for building storm water treatment projects. That's great but what is the calculated total of the projects currently ready to go into construction that will help address this issue</span></span>? What specific projects have been proposed? Cost? Budgeted?
<br />
<br />
Are businesses that have oil and other hazardous elements on the property going to be charged more? Or people with leaky oily cars that leave oil on the pavement? Apparently not.
<br />
<br />
Who is going to determine if a project is to be funded by the "runoff tax"? What is the criteria? We saw millions spent on a recent project in the San Gabriel River that was a total waste of taxpayer dollars. Who on the taxpayer side is going to over see this to make sure that the funds are spent for
run off and not other projects that should be built with general funds?
Or state or federal funds? Will state or federal funds be available for some of these runoff projects? If not why not? Who is going to watch over all the funds given to cities on this issue?<br />
<br />
How was the tax rate determined? did the County just work backwards from numbers it wanted to hit? set an amount it needed and look at total surface area? what are the estimates of total funds needed to fix the runoff problem?<br />
<br />
What percentage of the "run off tax" budget will be spent on "educating the public" not to throw trash in the river or pour oil in the storm drains? Don't we already do that now with current budget money?
<br />
<br />
What if the County or a city violates the <span class="st"><i>National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System</i> (<i>NPDES</i>)</span> permit? Is the state or the Federal Govt. going to fine the county? That's laughable. The law requiring this run off tax was created by the state so it can be delayed or modified by the state especially if they see its not passed in a popular vote (not a Prop 218 shenaigan)
<br />
<br />
As this was fed/state mandate ( <i>the </i><span class="st"><i>National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System</i> (<i>NPDES</i>)</span>) why don't we get funds from the federal or state government to pay for it? (unfunded mandates problem)
<br />
<br />
Are all the other local counties subject to the same permits and proposed taxes? If not why not? What are they doing in response? How are they doing it?<br />
<br />
What if the fix or the projects (which we know very little about now in terms of cost or efficacy) end up costing less that the taxes bring in? Or what if they cost much more than the tax brings in? Or what if the projects do not have the intended effect?<br />
<br />
Can the asessment be lessened each year and varied based on the budgeted items or projects that are "shovel ready"? Who determines this?<br />
<br />
What if the run off tax does not pass? then what? is there a set aside in the general fund for these so called stormwater run off projects? A "rainy day fund?" (no pun intended)<br />
<br />
If you have your own questions please pass them along to us at <b>updates@laag.us </b><br />
<br />
<i>from earlier reports of the tax in May 2012:
</i><br />
<br />
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_20719204/new-los-angeles-county-parcel-tax-storm-water
<br />
<br />
05/26/2012
<br />
<br />
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote this week on a proposal to tax homeowners an average of $54 per parcel to raise funds to treat polluted storm water before it reaches local lakes and beaches.
If the supervisors decide to move forward with the Water Quality Funding Initiative at their June 6 meeting, it must be approved by a majority of voters. Voting would take place in a 45-day mail-in ballot election between next March and May, according to county documents.
The proposal, in the works for five years, <b>would raise as much as $273 million </b>to clean the San Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers by assessing property by parcel size and the amount of impervious area on the property, according to the proposal. The more impervious area that water cannot easily penetrate - such as blacktop - the higher the assessment.
Urban run-off consists of storm water from rainfall that picks up animal feces, bacteria, lead, arsenic, waste oil from automobiles and other hazardous chemicals from lawn fertilizers and household pesticides as it makes its way along washes, creeks, streams and rivers to the ocean.
When carried down the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena and South Pasadena, or the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel rivers, the toxic stew pollutes local lakes - such as Legg Lake in Whittier Narrows, Peck Road Park's lake on the border of south Arcadia and El Monte - and ocean beaches in Seal Beach and Long Beach, county officials said.
Cash-poor cities are responsible for cleaning up this pollution but don't have the money to pay for cleanup projects. <b>State legislation passed in 2010 enabled the county to begin collecting parcel fees to take care of the problem</b>.
The annual parcel tax, as proposed, <b>would vary from $8 to $83 per year</b>. <b>Single family parcels would account for 75 percent of the properties</b>, according to Kerjon Lee, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
Every property in L.A. County would be assessed, except in the Antelope Valley. That includes 2.1 million parcels in nine watersheds stretching across the county: Ballona Creek, Dominguez Channel, Upper Los Angeles River, Lower Los Angeles River, Rio Hondo River, Upper San Gabriel River, Lower San Gabriel River, Santa Clara River and Santa Monica Bay.
About 40 percent of the money would be distributed to 85 cities in the county, 50 percent would go to watershed groups made up of cities and unincorporated county communities, and 10 percent would go to the Los Angeles County Flood Control District for administrative costs, according to county documents.
<b>The county supervisors were supposed to vote on the proposal last fall, but the city of Los Angeles objected</b> to the distribution formulas and wanted more time to tweak the proposal, Lee said.
Indeed, the supervisors were scheduled to vote on the measure Tuesday, but pushed it back again eight days.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laag.us/" target="_blank">Lakewood Accountability Action Group™</a> LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
<a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1026128&loc=en_US">click here to receive LAAG posts by email</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Long Beach Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Long Beach, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government</div>laaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157594966863638909noreply@blogger.com0