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Editorial

LB's 2016 Elections


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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Widely attributed to Edmund Burke but originating source controversial)

(June 8, 2016, 9:50 a.m.) -- On May 26, LBREPORT.com wrote the following in an editorial urging voters to reject Measure A (sales tax increase to 10% for any general fund items current and future Mayor/Council majorities seek):

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[LBREPORT.com editorial]...Supporters of a LB sales tax increase ballot measure say it is about the type of city in which we want to live. We agree with this...which is why LBREPORT.com urges LB voters to reject Measure A...because rejecting it is essential to building a better Long Beach.On Wednesday morning: June 8, Long Beach will awaken to one of two futures:

  • If Measure A passes, it will show that Long Beach politicians can trick enough low-information voters (50%+1 votes) with a tsunami of misleading statements, amplified by obscene levels of special interest money. It will reward the worst civic values and encourage similar behavior on countless other future issues.

  • If Measure A is defeated, it will send the message that LB voters can't be duped, that six figure junk mailings and machine-style echo chamber tactics don't work here. A David vs. Goliath outcome will reward the best civic values. It will send a message that LB elected officials can no longer try to con their constituents and must make overdue reforms in the way LB City Hall does business.

The public didn't speak on Measure A. Monied corporate and organized labor interests spoke. Their money fueled a misleading, mendacious machine that will now be even more contemptuous and dangerous unless intelligently countered.

That machinery also prevailed in April, re-installing Council incumbents Dee Andrews (6th dist, won with over 50% of the vote using term-limits bypass write-in procedure) and Al Austin (8th dist., received over 50% avoiding runoff). Daryl Supernaw (4th dist.) faced no ballot opposition. Last night's runoff between candidates Pearce and Gray turned into fight between union-interests vs. business-interests while on big ticket items (including Measure A) they both basically applauded what exiting 2nd district incumbent Lowenthal has done.

On Measure A, LB Taxpayers Association co-founder Tom Stout did a heroic job. He handed out hand-made copies of his ballot argument against the measure outside multiple meetings, including those where event organizers let city officials speak but denied Mr. Stout a podium opportunity to present the opposition. Letting officialdom dispense all truths has, for some, apparently become "the Long Beach way."

LBREPORT.com invited Mayor Garcia and a Councilmember of his choice to debate a signer and co-signer of the opposition ballot argument/rebuttal; we received no response; the proponents preferred to rely on junk mailers, social network blurbs and one-sided events where they could provide all the answers. Mr. Stout's selfless work was no match for the machinery arrayed against him.

The net effect: LB's 2016 election cycle was dominated by campaigns and PACs that speak for corporate/business/development interests and organized labor interests. Long Beach currently has no PAC that speaks for taxpaying Long Beach residents...with the smarts to raise money that it can use to defeat unresponsive incumbents and candidates. That would genuinely build a better Long Beach by electing those who reflect the interests of residents instead of others who use our city to advance their interests at our expense.

Outside Long Beach, much of the country is rejecting rigged politics as practiced by both parties. What happened here in 2016 shows us that Long Beach's political machinery won basically by default, without a real fight...and is ultimately on the wrong side of history.

In less than two years, Long Beach will have an opportunity to replace as many as five Council incumbents and change its citywide electeds. Replacing even a few of them would break the machinery that currently has Long Beach in its grip.

Whether that happens depends on what will happen, or not happen, in the coming weeks and months.

Opinions expressed by LBREPORT.com, our contributors and/or our readers are not necessary those of our advertisers. We welcome our readers' comments/opinions 24/7 via Disqus, Facebook and moderate length letters and longer-form op-ed pieces submitted to us at mail@LBReport.com.

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