LBREPORT.com has also learned that the ILWU SCDC asked candidates to fill out the questionnaire below:
January 2014
ILWU SCDC QUESTIONS FOR CITY OF LONG BEACH CANDIDATES
CANDIDATE NAME: ______________________________
POSITION SEEKING: ______________________________
1. What is the salary, pension, medical plan and expenses allowed for the position you are seeking? Also, the same questions for staff, aids, etc. What are your required work hours?
2. America’s First Amendment Rights to speak and express themselves. Did you support the police actions and the LA Mayor’s decision to evacuate and arrest the people exercising their rights during the “Occupy” event downtown in Los Angeles? If so, why? More Americans are facing hardship, unemployment, homelessness, onerous student loans and expressing their grief publically. How would you, if elected, respond to such public demonstrations?
3. What is your solution for the growing number of homeless in Long Beach and what is your solution and how would you implement it? Jails are not the alternative to jobs and many Americans are committing suicide in desperation.
4. How do you as City Attorney, Prosecutor or Councilmember, whichever is applicable, plan to run the city with limited resources and ongoing layoffs of tax payers? Privatization is not the solution – what is yours and how would you implement it?
5. Many unions, including the ILWU, have contracts expiring in 2014. Some of the Unions may refuse to accept inferior company offers and strike or be locked out. How do you see your role as City Attorney, Prosecutor or Councilmember, whichever is applicable, under these circumstances? Will you engage the police? If so for what purpose? Will you let us be permanently replaced or let scabs take our jobs?
6. We consider privatizing city services the same as offshoring private industry jobs. Both are an attack on the American Worker and the American Workers’ purchasing power and tax base. What are your plans to protect the jobs of American workers and our standard of living in the Long Beach community and California as an elected representative?
7. As you know, many U.S. Cities and school boards are going bankrupt. What are your plans or ideas to prevent bankruptcy in the city of Long Beach?
8. We have seen a decline in city services mainly in less affluent communities. For example, pot holes have not been fixed in years, trash is not picked up. Does this occur in your home neighborhood? What are our options?
9. Charter schools have not improved the quality of education any more than Bushes’ "No Child Left Behind." How do you plan to improve the quality of education in Long Beach? Will you fight to rehire laid off, taxpaying, good teachers who care about our children? If so how? Will you protect the public school system and oppose using tax money for privatization?
10. As City Attorney, City Controller, Councilmember, whichever is applicable, would you support the development of a local publically owned bank which can be established to help forestall foreclosures and start small businesses at very low interest rates?
11. What are your views on the North American and Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreements and their impact on the independence of the USA, our State and City? What are you willing to do publically - support a resolution opposing these Agreements?
12. Are you planning to replacing the current Long Beach Harbor Administration and/or Commissioners, if applicable? If so, who would you replace?
13. Money and Power talks - who do you listen to and who are you influenced by? What about the rest of us? How do you foresee our future?
14. Climate change has affected water levels on our continents, shorelines and cities. How has/is climate change or melting of glaciers affecting the City and Port of Long Beach? What are your plans for our future?
15. What will you bring to our city and our schools that will not be brought by your opponent(s)? What will you change in the short run? What will you change in the long run?
[added Jan. 12] ILWU Southern California District Council is one of four district councils, each of which is made of up delegates elected by rank-&-file members from individual ILWU Locals in their region. [end add]
LBREPORT.com publishes this material consistent with our position that the public has a right to know what political action committees that offer endorsements may ask candidates for public office to "pledge" to do or not do and what candidates tell them in response to questions asked (via questionnaires or in candidate interviews) and by whom the endorsement decison is made (some board, committee or membership, etc.)
If you are a candidate and were asked by a political action committee (whether by a labor organization, business entity or other advocacy interest group) to take some sort "pledge" or respond to questions [via written questionnaire or in a personal interview] about what you'd do or not do if elected to the office you're seeking, LBREPORT.com would like to know what you were asked, and by whom, and how you -- and your opponents -- answered. If/when we find out, we intend to publish it.
[LBREPORT.com sought comment/responses from ILWU SCDC's office; we left a voice mail message and didn't receive a return call.]
Developing...with further to follow on LBREPORT.com.