All records from January 1, 2018 to date in the offices of the Mayor (including Mayoral staff) (including communications to/from other City of Long Beach staff or electeds) that concern, refer or relate to planning costs, schedules and subject matter for events described by Mayor Garcia in an April 12 mass emailing titled "Leaving City Hall...And Coming To Your Home." This request includes any such foregoing content stored on the personal devices or in non-longbeach.gov databases used by the Mayor or his staff within the scope of City of San Jose vs. Superior Court (Smith).

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The Public Records Act requires local governments to tell requesters within 10 days if they have disclosable public records and whether they'll disclose them. It permits an extension for no more than 14 days only in "unusual circumstances" limited "only to the extent reasonably necessary" to "search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other establishments that are separate from the office processing the request" [n/a]; "search for, collect, and appropriately examine a voluminous amount of separate and distinct records that are demanded in a single request"; [probably not] "the need for consultation, which shall be conducted with all practicable speed, with another agency...or among two or more components of the agency" [consulting with whom on what for why?]; or "the need to compile data, to write programming language or a computer program, or to construct a computer report to extract data" [n/a]. And the law adds: "Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to permit an agency to delay or obstruct the inspection or copying of public records."

Big surprise: LB City Hall invoked the "unusual circumstances" delay for what ought to be a straightforward transparent response. It sent us this canned-boilerplate response:

Thank you for submitting your request for public records. Occasionally, we experience a delay in searching for records. Consequently, pursuant to Government Code 6253 (c), the City of Long Beach is extending the time within which to identify responsive documents by fourteen (14) calendar days. The City will make every effort to provide responsive records in a reasonable time. You will be notified by May 14, 2018 of the following: Whether the City has records responsive to your request and the page count and required payment, if applicable, to produce copies of such records, and/or Whether the City has records responsive to your request, but which are exempt from disclosure and the reasons for exemption."

Context is relevant here. On March 28, Mayor Garcia told an election candidate forum in a recorded message that "I'm running for re-election. I'm asking for your support. I am really, really proud of the work that we've done together in these last years, and I'm looking forward to doing the same thing in the next couple of years." [Emphasis added] "Next couple of years" is a peculiar choice of words for someone then-seeking a four year term of office.

On April 11 (the day after the election), we asked Mayor Garcia by email (cc'd to his Chief of Staff) if he'd previously stated publicly, or states now, that he will complete the full four year term of office to which he sought and won re-election as Mayor, meaning that (a) he will not seek the state Senate seat currently occupied by state Senator Lara if that seat becomes vacant in November 2018, and (b) he will not pursue a seat in Congress during the next four years. No, they haven't responded.

Yes, after his citywide "tour" Mayor Garcia can now make promises he won't have to keep if he ditches his office early. Yes, his citywide "tour" will give him a taxpayer-paid mechanism to connect with prospective voters while he refuses to rule out pursuing higher office. Yes, his "personal" decision could have costly public special-election taxpayer consequences.

Add to this the record many know but won't speak publicly. Mayor Garcia sought June 2016 voter approval for a "blank check" sales tax increase that has left LB with CA's highest sales tax rate (tied with only a few other cities.) His recommended budgets have restored only 17 of the 208 police officers that he voted as a Councilman to erase (nearly 20% of LB's police strength.) He likewise failed to restore two key Fire Engines that he voted to erase (including Station 1's safety-protective second engine maintained for years to deal with downtown density.) He's failed to abate proliferating citywide impacts on taxpaying LB businesses and residents from helplessly unhelped drug addicted/mentally ill transients mixed with malevolent others.

And yes, all this occurs while Garcia is currently fronting a campaign committee ($100,000 collected to date from PD and FD union PACs) seeking June 2018 LB voter approval for another City Hall-written "blank check, "Measure M" to maintain -- not reform -- current City spending practices that brought us to where we are today. Essential to voter approval of Measure M is the message that LB has "challenges" but the public shouldn't rock the status quo.

In our view, this is completely backwards. We believe LB has "challenges" in large part because those currently running City Hall make endless excuses for the status quo and resist overdue reforms. We believe LB voters should send the message that current spending practices must be changed to, at minimum, restore police and firefighter service levels that LB taxpayers previously received. Other cities didn't cut 20% of their police officers to weather the "great recession" (while handing out raises.) At this point, Mayor Garcia has left LB the "can't do" city when it comes to providing taxpayer services that LB could and did provide before. And if he jumps ship, he won't have to do it.

Yes, LBREPORT.com very much wants to see the public records from the Mayor's office and its bloated ten person staff that show what they're planning for Garcia's LB "tour."

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