As usual, it was brimming with soothing sincerity, deep-felt empathy, and glowing words for Long Beach students, teachers, administrators, janitors, engineers, security personnel, local community support groups, etc.

And, as usual, it induced me into a deep state of tranquillity bordering on somnolence.

Actually, the last time I looked so forward to listening to an orator that caught my attention so thoroughly was during the 1980s and 90s when the wildly flamboyant fight promoter, Don King, always left me in stitches at his press conferences with his hyperbolic yarns, his polysyllabic malaprops, his historical asides and his endless stream of non sequiturs.

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Certainly, Dr. Baker has been doing it in a more restrained manner with her gentleness, kindliness and sweetness that I find so mesmerizing as does, apparently, the Long Beach Board of Education.

This sterling group is so overwhelmed by Dr. Baker that four of its members, Dr. Felton Williams, Megan Kerr, Diana Craighead and Jon Meyer, recently voted to give her $58,000 more a year -- her annual salary will be $345,000 -- than her predecessor, Chris Steinhauser, earned, which was a paltry $287,000.

This despite a major Pandemic that has caused the LBUSD a 10 percent budget cut and an estimated $70 million shortfall.

In actuality, Dr. Baker will be getting a $100,000 a year raise, since her annual income as the LBUSD deputy superintendent has been a lousy $245,000, meaning her new four-year contract guarantees her of earning a cool $1.380 million.

Good for Jill Baker! She has made a mint from our great American capitalistic system, even during these harrowing financial times in which the organization she works for, the LBUSD, is fraught with economic wows and widespread misery pervades our country .

But, alas, there are spoilsports in this city not exactly applauding the exceedingly mild-mannered Dr. Jill Baker's staggering monetary haul.

Chris Steinhauser came out strongly against the Board of Education giving it to her. Even one of its members, Dr. Juan Benitez, summoned the courage to go against his enlightened colleagues, refusing to cast a vote in favor of it.

And the Long Beach Teachers Association had an absolute conniption over it, wondering how Dr. Baker was able to receive such a heavenly gift when circumstances dictate belt tightening with everyone else---including the teachers -- in the LBUSD.

Now I'm sure Dr. Jill Baker, is well-qualified, well-respected and quite well-deserving of her challenging new position in which her edicts will have such a significant impact on so many young students in this city.

I've never had the privilege of meeting her, nor did I know much about her background until I went on the LBUSD website and read her biography, which, of course, is quite impressive with the standard doctorate in Educational Leadership from USC, a Master's in School Leadership from Long Beach State and a Sociology degree from UC-Irvine.

I figured she must have minored in finance, since she wound up with such an implausibly massive payoff for her new promotion---she officially takes over from Mr. Steinhauser on Aug. 1---but, curiously, that's not the case.

The attorney for the LBUSD, a gentleman named Brent Green, explained the reason for the Board of Education's munificence was that Long Beach had been paying far less to its top school administrator than other large urban school districts in the state.

What brilliant logic! Some person in San Jose or San Diego or other big city was making a lot more than Chris Steinhauser, therefore such an injustice must be rectified by making sure Dr. Jill Baker is at the same level to retain any semblance of civic pride despite the vast costs and vast budget cuts.

But the optics are not exactly illuminating for Dr. Jill Baker, especially since Chris Steinhauser was quite comfortable making $287,000 a year and routinely declined raises from the Board of Education.

I'm almost certain that this caring, gracious lady I've been faithfully watching deliver those heartfelt community school updates since March will by Aug. 1 have a soul-searching crisis of conscience.

I'm almost certain she will wind up declining her mind-boggling raise and have all that extra money she would have been making, instead, diverted to the welfare of her beloved Long Beach students for which she constantly professes so much undying admiration and respect and affection.

I'm sure this demure, genial lady can somehow find a way to make it on $287,000 a year in these trying times, or can she?