On August 1, 2013, the Mayor and city management proposed to fund part of LBPD overtime, half of the LBPD gang unit officers taxpayers once had and Police and Fire Academies in FY14 by using "one time" funds: city oil revenue above $70/barrel plus sums City Hall received because Sacramento dissolved LB's Redevelopment Agency (which Mayor Foster fought) [Budget source: pp. 8 and 9 of City Hall's Community Budget book.]

But two years earlier, recall what took place.

In August-September 2011, Councilmembers Schipske, Gabelich and Neal proposed using a portion of city oil revenue to avert some cuts to police, fire and libraries. Instead of thanking the Councilmembers for their proposal and seeking common ground or compromise, Foster gave a smash-mouth response, labeling their alternative to his budget "irresponsible" for proposing to use what he called "one time revenue" for one time expenses.

At the September 6, 2011 Council meeting, Councilman Neal responded to the Mayor's opposition by offering to cut the proposal in half, sequestering (putting aside) half the oil revenue to use if the price of oil somehow dropped, thus addressing the Mayor's stated objection. Still the Mayor objected, and predictably his Council majority fell into line, voting 6-3 (motion by DeLong) to "receive and file" (take no action on) the compromise version of the proposal (Yes: Garcia, Lowenthal, DeLong, O'Donnell, Andrews, Johnson; No: Schipske, Neal, Gabelich).

But barely one month later in October 2011, the Mayor's majority voted to approve spending $2.2 million in "one time" oil revenue to fund LBPD overtime, an ongoing expense.

And that wasn't all.

As part of the same Oct. 2011 agenda item, management proposed using $1 million in "one time" oil revenue to "smooth" (i.e. fill a gap) in the FY12 budget for "unspecified" items, likely ongoing expenses, and the Mayor's majority approved it.

And that's still not all.

As part of the same Oct. 2011 agenda item, management proposed and the Council approved allocating $350,000 in one time oil revenue for a shotspotter or other gunfire location system. A year later, LBPD management said it couldn't find a system that met LBPD's objectives and in November 2012, the Council used the one-time funds to pay $350,000 in FY13 LBPD overtime...again, one-time revenue used for an ongoing expense, and the Mayor's majority approved it.

And there's still more.

In August 2012, Mayor Foster proposed budgeting $7 million for LBPD overtime, far short of its annual $10 million cost. (PD OT is inevitable because some incidents result in officers working beyond their shifts.) In September 2012, the Council dealt with this by allocating a little over $9 million for PD OT and other items in the Chief's discretion, but that was still short...which led the Council, on management's recommendation, to approve (July 23, 2013) taking $600,000 in FY14 one time funds to pay part of FY13 overtime...again, using one time revenue for ongoing expenses.

If (as Ralph Waldo Emerson said) consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds, then Mayor Foster and his Council allies must have very large minds indeed. In our view, portraying a principle as inviolate to slam one's opponents and then treating it as flexible to produce a desired outcome, deserves to be pointed out, which we just did.

And thank you, Councilmembers Gabelich, Schipske and Neal.