(July 17, 2014) -- At the July 15 inaugural event, some found differing gender, skin color and sexual orientation among LB's elected officials as evidence of diversity. We disagree. Those factors are welcome to us but irrelevant in judging real diversity.
We believe what's important is how people act and think regardless of their gender, skin color or sexual orientation. To us, substantive diversity means respecting diversity of viewpoints.
Within a few weeks, the public will see if LB's new City Council displays that substantive diversity of viewpoints on things that matter to taxpayers. In our view, these include restoring police and fire services for taxpayers and halting a misguided Civic Center rebuild. Principled Councilmembers won't let others tell them to defer to the Mayor in the name of "unity" when the merits of an issue show otherwise.
History shows that some of the worst self-inflicted wounds in Long Beach history resulted from unanimous Council votes that preferred "unity" and dismissed principled dissent on the merits.
The law in Long Beach is that Councilmembers have voting power that the Mayor doesn't. A Council majority decides (subject to a Mayoral veto that six Councilmembers can override) and the Mayor must ultimately follow, not the other way around. Voting Councilmembers aren't sheep to be herded into a line to robotically raise hands in deference to a non-voting Mayor.
We urge Long Beach's new Council (with five new Councilmembers) to respect and practice substantive diversity in viewpoints and exercise their elected check and balance powers to put taxpayers first.
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