Real Police (Fire & Core Services), Not Meat Police: Our Mighty Meaty Monday Meetup Manifesto

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(May 31, 2015) -- On social networks, in emails, article comments and an online survey, the public has voiced disapproval by large margins to a May 19 City Council action supported by incumbents Gonzalez (co-author), Lowenthal, Price (co-author), Andrews, Uranga, Austin (primary author) and Richardson that directed the City Attorney to prepare a resolution supporting so-called "Meatless Mondays" (LBREPORT.com coverage here.) The item is now scheduled for a Tuesday June 2 Council vote. (LBREPORT.com coverage here.)

We urge Councilmembers Supernaw (who voted "no" without comment) and Mungo (who welcomed veggie choices but wisely voted "no") to maintain their sensible stances and we encourage other Councilmembers to take the opportunity to diplomatically "receive and file" the item.

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The Council majority claims its "Meatless Monday" measure merely "raises awareness" and offers "choices" reflecting their concern about people's health. We deny this Council that premise.

Below are salient portions of this Council's REAL record on protecting public health and safety (except Supernaw, elected in April.)

Refused to update 1992-era data on the environmental impacts of coal and petroleum coke trains traveling through neighborhoods, despite two decades of medical data detailing the health damages done by particulates. The Council voted 9-0 (Aug. 2014 motion by Andrews) to deny appeals by Earth Justice on behalf of the Sierra Club, Communities for a Better Environment and Natural Resources Defense Council, supported by the Los Cerritos Neighborhood Ass'n, health care workers (nurses) other environmental groups and residents. Councilmembers shrugged the appellants' testimony and Councilman Austin even opined that [paraphrase] he didn't think it was his role to address a railroad's business decisions.
Left Long Beach taxpayers with 200 fewer budgeted police officers than taxpayers received roughly half a decade ago. L.A. County's second largest city now has a too-thin police line roughly equivalent per capita to what L.A. would have if its Council cut about a third of LAPD's officers. Term-limited LB incumbents Lowenthal and Andrews contributed to erasing the largest number of budgeted police officers for taxpayers within a five year period in the more than 100 year history of the City of Long Beach. This includes the eliminating LBPD's field anti-gang unit in a city infested with gangs. What do you think the major health/safety concern is for residents and businesses in the areas below? (Red X's = murders; Blue X's and other colors = non-fatal shootings since Jan. 2014.)

Left three LB fire stations "ghost stations" without fire engines, the only apparatus capable of spraying water to put out fires. This reckless Council action resulted in an ELB residence burning across the street from Fire Station 17 until a further engine arrived with the fire doubling every minute. Below are the results (Jan. 2014) of the previous Council's handiwork, left uncorrected by the current Council.

Fails to provide paramedic staffing at levels provided to residents of every other community in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. LBFD management says its pilot project is working well, saving money and bringing some response improvements; Long Beach firefighters, who deal with the real world results daily, say the experiment doesn't deliver as promised, sends fire engines flying all over town to handle traffic accidents and health related calls, leaving them unavailable to fight fires and creating multiple unintended, unhelpful consequences.

Long Beach taxpayers deserve real police, not meat police. Restored fire services not nanny-state nonsense. And air that doesn't send toxins into the lungs of its residents from campaign-contributing ship, train and truck operations that use this City's Port and related public infrastructure for their profits. The Ports of LB and LA are collectively the largest single stationary pollution source in southern California. The Council can't get away with outsourcing their health impacts to Harbor Commissioners; the public's health and safety are matters for elected Councilmembers.

If LB's current Councilmembers were serious about any of these, they would allocate time at every single Council meeting to deal seriously with at least one of them. Three issues with roughly three Council meetings a month means dealing with at least one of them roughly once a month. That's modest and reasonable.

As for choices, voters will have those in 2016 in four Council districts.

Meanwhile, we hope you'll enjoy one of the world's greatest hamburgers on Monday, June 1, at the 49rs Tavern & Grill, 5660 E. PCH (Iron Triangle area at Bellflower Blvd.)

And bon appetit.

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