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Updated Development: AUDIO: Sales Tax Topic Taboo, Untouched By Mayor, Police Chief And Councilwoman Mungo Who Discuss Multiple Other Matters At El Dorado Park South Neighborhood Ass'n Meeting
Measure A opponents attend, ready to rock, but city speakers provide no target

(May 23, 2016) -- Can you spot the differences between the two Facebook listings below by the El Dorado Park South Neighborhood Association?

[Scroll down for further.]

Version 1:

Version 2:

The top one announced in early May that Mayor Robert Garcia and Councilwoman Stacy Mungo will be speaking tonight (May 23) about City Hall's desired sales tax hike Measure A. The bottom one, dated about two weeks later, doesn't mention Measure A and says only that Garcia, Mungo and (an addition) Police Chief Luna will speak about...something(s). Like what? The Angels vs. the Dodgers?

We strongly suspect that the original dispatch accurately described plans to stage a one-sided presentation on the ballot measure by the Mayor and Councilwoman Mungo. We suspect that the subsequent revision is a clumsy attempt to try and avoid presenting the opposition to Measure A by pretending tonight's presentation by officialdom will be merely informational. Oh? From the Mayor, who is the measure's leading proponent and Mungo, who served as Council enabler in the ballot process? If it is like other so-called informational presentations we've heard over the past several weeks, it will include what we believe is clearly de facto advocacy relevant to the proposed tax increase.

We've learned that the 5th district's immediate past Councilwoman, Gerrie Schipske, who co-signed the official ballot argument in opposition, indicated to the group's leaders that she is available to provide the viewpoint in opposition, not a debate but to let residents hear both sides of the issue. Instead of welcoming her, someone revised the May 18 meeting announcement to pretend Measure A won't be discussed.

Measure A is a significant citywide ballot measure involving taxes. It would be an insult to the public's intelligence to present only one side of the issue. If North Long Beach's DeForest Park Neighborhood Association can present both sides -- and did last week -- the El Dorado Park South Neighborhood Association and others can and should do likewise.

If the group's new president (who we've learned was an early Garcia appointee to a City Hall Commission) thinks it's more important to protect City Hall politicians than to present both sides of a major citywide ballot measure and is willing to prevent the district's former Councilwoman from presenting the opposition viewpoint, he will embarrass his neighborhood group and turn its meeting tonight into a travesty.

Of course former Councilwoman Schipske should be allowed to speak, from the podium, not a debate but to present the opposing point of view on Measure A.

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