Mungo's Mangled Facts Misstating Airport History, Shrugging Constituents' Concerns, May Mean Short Council Reign

LBReport.com

Opinion / Common Sense

by Terry Jensen

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(July 16, 2015) [Editor's note: Mr. Jensen submitted this piece days ago; its appearance was delayed due to intervening events not attributable to him.]

Listening to the repartee between City Council members and city staff at the July 7, 2015 Council meeting re the possibility of allowing a LB Airport Federal Inspection Service (Customs) facility was painful. But in my view perhaps the most painful and disappointing demonstration of contempt and lack of respect for those attending was provided by 5th District Councilwoman Stacy Mungo.

This was initially demonstrated when she opined that although she wants current residents to stay in the homes they're in, the City would earn more real estate tax revenue (under Prop 13 reassessments) if those in attendance sold their homes. While the audience booed she stubbornly declared she was providing FACTS. Only Mayor Garcia's intervention interrupted her verbal onslaught and saved her from digging a bigger hole.

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And not knowing when to cut her losses, she followed up a few minutes later with the declaration that "our current terminal was opposed by all the members of this community who are booing tonight."

Councilwoman Mungo's lack of historical knowledge surprised me as she frequently makes a point of insisting that she wants FACTS and as a budget director she dispenses FACTS.

In my view, her frequent FACT declarations suggest to me "the lady doth protest too much." So I offer the following FACTS that have seemingly escaped Ms. Mungo.

In FACT, the construction of the new Airport Terminal was supported by a majority of the community. The primary point of contention was the supersizing of the terminal.
In FACT we wanted a terminal that was suitably sized to accommodate the number of flights allowed by the noise ordinance.
In FACT we believed there was no need to waste taxpayer money on a facility that was oversized. A budget director should have known this fact.
In FACT previous Mayors, Councils and City Managers were the cause of the majority of the delays in building the new terminal.
In FACT it was the lack of truthful information, openness and transparency by a previous Mayor, Council and staff that caused them to lose credibility and the trust of residents.
In FACT we love our new Terminal and are proud of our involvement in reducing its size, preserving the feature that LB airport consumers like, and reducing its cost.
In FACT the number of allowable flights at the airport has grown from 15 to 66 as a result of lawsuits, threatened lawsuits and settlements. Our fears are not without justification.
In FACT an FAA study determined LGB could accommodate up to 105 flights per HOUR. We currently have 3.25 per hour during the busiest periods of the day.
In FACT the neighborhoods under the flight path can live with the number of flights currently allowed and the current level of noise. They don't want more.

I'm not a 5th District resident so I really don't know much about Councilwoman Mungo but she clearly showed me that she had little empathy for many of the meeting's attendees. To me, her arrogance was palpable with little desire to show humility or demonstrate an understanding of the fears of the homeowners who took the time and effort to attend the meeting.

I believe it's important for Councilwoman Mungo to recognize that residents attended the meeting because they were frightened that adding a customs facility could lead to airport expansion that may diminish the quality of the life in their neighborhoods and potentially reduce the value of their homes. Others attended to support their employer because they perceive their jobs may be at risk.

I know it isn't easy for residents to leave their families and spend several hours to attend a City Council meeting. And it is most difficult for many of them to speak in front of the council.

And for that time commitment away from their families they deserve respect and praise for getting involved in civic government, regardless of their position on issues.

Councilwoman Mungo began by saying she appreciated the presence of everyone in the audience, but what followed didn't show that.

I might excuse Councilwoman Mungo's performance as being caught up in the moment except I recall her performance at a March 2015 Council meeting when she suggested a fellow council member was "pandering to the audience" for seeking a short pause in addressing the FIS issue until after an election filled a then-vacant Council seat representing flight-impacted residents.

I hope Ms Mungo learns from this firestorm, gains a little humility and loses her arrogance. If she learns that rude and condescending behavior isn't productive and doesn't endear her to her constituents or fellow Council members, she may be a successful representative of her district and city. If not, her reign may be short.

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