From LBREPORT.com's Amnesia File, data from City Clerk's website:

Between Jan. 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009 in the 2010 election cycle, incumbent Mayor Bob Foster's campaign committee reported collecting $219,376.99.

If that wasn't too soon for the incumbent Mayor, we don't think it should be too soon for candidates seeking to succeed him.

In that connection, there is something that is coming rather late. As LBREPORT.com noted in a previous Amnesia File report, in December 2012, Mayor Foster told a televised interview (Art Levine's StraightTalkTV) that he'd make the decision on whether he'd seek a third term by the end of 2012.

No, the Mayor didn't say he'd actually tell the public his decision by year's end and he hasn't...but in recent weeks he has been popping up in various venues telling audiences how well he thinks the City is doing. In our view, it amounts to a stump speech for himself or his Council allies without being tagged in a political context.

Twice this year (most recently in April 2013), we politely asked Mayor Foster at other events about his plans and twice he politely told us it's too early.

LBREPORT.com notes that Robert Garcia (a Mayoral ally whose Council term expires in 2014) hasn't filed a statement of intention at this point to seek reelection to the 1st Council district. Others aren't letting the incumbent Mayor decide the timetable in the city's election cycle. They currently include Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, Long Beach Community College Trustee Doug Otto and fairly-recent former Irvine resident/NFL player Damon Dunn.