Their is the accurate pronoun. LB's electeds used a process that avoided obtaining approval from the LB voters who elected them. Mayors Bob Foster (his name now afixed to the building's new "Civic Chambers") and Robert Garcia led while Councilmembers (with the sole exception of Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske) followed. They imposed a needlessly costly new Civic Center that, perhaps not coincidentally, dovetailed with the interests of downtown LB commercial property owners.

The net result is the largest multi-decade transfer of LB taxpayer money from neighborhoods citywide to downtown Long Beach in the city's history.

Their final Council meeting (July 23) in a Council Chamber designed 40 years ago so the public would sit above its electeds included a genuine "let them eat cake" moment. Nayor Garcia and current and former LB officials ate a cake baked to resemble LB's soon-to-be-demolished City Hall. They did so without inviting members of the public -- who'd come to conduct city business -- to join them. Following the photo op, an attendant wheeled the cake into Councilmembers' lounge (with no indication it might be offered to homeless persons frequenting the area.)

Source: City Council webcast

[Scroll down for further.]

After conducting a July 29 Civic Center dedication ceremony for public consumption, an invitation-only event was held inside the new Port administration building at someone's cost for specially favored guests. We assume they ate cake there too.

LBREPORT.com has repeatedly decried inequities that we've called a "tale of two cities" in conditions experienced by disproportionately working class and historically disadvantaged neighborhoods within sight of LB's new Civic Center. We've criticized taxpayer-impacting actions by those occupying LB's new Civic Center buildings that in our opinion enable those inequities to persist. In our opinion, it's why upcoming LB elections matter.

Sponsor

Sponsor

Sponsor

Sponsor

Sponsor

Sponsor

Sponsor

Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.