The nearly four page statement, released Nov. 2 and titled an Open Letter from members of LB's Cambodian-American community "who love democracy and out great city," charges in effect that Mayor Garcia's support for Measure BBB (that would let Garcia and Council incumbents avoid a current write-in requirement if they seek third terms) implies LB's Cambodian community is unable to write-in two words indicating a candidate preference, calling it "beyond insulting to every last man, woman and child of Cambodian origin in Long Beach."

The signers' Open Letter also criticizes efforts to gain votes for Measure BBB by trying to link it to Measure DDD (that would create a redistricting commission to redraw LB Council district lines) by portraying both as civil rights measures. "This scheme of the two measures BBB and DDD being sold together as civil rights is a sickening insult to the civil rights movement that liberated African-Americans. It is the legacy of the African-American civil rights movement which helps our own Cambodian-American community community move forward toward true equality," they state. .

In their Open Letter, the LB Cambodian-American signers analogize Mayor Garcia to Cambodia's current despotic prime minister, contending Garcia seeks "to be something akin to a Mayor for life, protected from public scrutiny by the morally bankrupt big money which also ensures his reelection without opposition, as occurred, more or less, earlier this year."

LBREPORT.com has previously noted a numerical reality: if LB's Cambodian community were to vote in a unified manner for Measure DDD and for the three other measures, the result could produce an election boost for the Mayor-sought Measures AAA, BBB and CCC.

LBREPORT.com has previously reported three aspects of this story (below) that you may not have seen elsewhere. We consider all three matters newsworthy and reported them as such in connection with LB's upcoming Nov. 6 election. .

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• An Oct. 4 public meeting at LB's E. Anaheim St. (Cambodia Town) MAYE Center, publicly billed as a Measure DDD Kickoff -- End Gerrymandering in Long Beach" hosted by "Equitable Redistricting For Camobidians" and "two others" (clickable link showed "League of Women Voters - Long Beach Area" and "California Common Cause") began with statements by Mayor Garcia and Councilman Al Austin (who exited without fielding questions) followed by spakers from "Common Cause" and LB's League of Women Voters, all focused on DDD...until LB Cambodian Community figure Charles Song spoke and urged meeting attendees to vote "yes" on all four Charter Amendments. Shortly thereafter, the audience was offered lawn signs printed by the Garcia-operated political committee supporting AAA+BBB+CCC+DDD that were already on site for distribution.

  
  

  
  

• On Oct. 25, a video appeared online, produced by a new political committee (that filed paperwork on Oct. 18), not publicly linked to Garcia, urging support for BBB and DDD. Its video isn't aimed solely at LB's Cambodian-Americans but it includes LB Cambodian-American community figure Laura Som.along along with current 9th dist. Councilman Rex Richardson, former 6th dist. LB Councilwoman Doris Topsy-Elvord and former LBCC Trustee Irma Archuletta.

• A day later on Oct. 26, the Garcia-Doud committee released a video in which Mayor Garcia, and Mr. Song and Ms. Som (the latter two also associated with previous redistricting efforts) urge Cambodian community support for AAA, BBB, CCC and DDD.

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The Open Letter signed by the 31 members of LB's Cambodian-American community accuses Mayor Garcia of attempting to exploit their community for his political benefit and criticizes Mr. Song and Ms. Som (both of whom supported redistricting changes prior to Measure DDD) for their current actions. "We call on all the people of Long Beach to reject BBB and DDD because they are based on falsehoods," the Open Letter states.

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Three of LB's current Councilmembers (Supernaw, Price and Mungo), who joined a unanimous Council vote on Aug. 7 to put Measures AAA-DDD on the ballot, have since declined to personally endorse Measure BBB. Among those not publicly supporting BBB is Councilman Daryl Supernaw whose 4th district includes a sizable portion of LB's Cambodia Town. One of the three, 3rd dist. Councilwoman Suzie Price, has publicly indicated that she plans to vote against BBB. And immediate-past 4th dist. Councilman (now Assemblyman) Patrick O'Donnell has said he opposes BBB, citing what he calls misleading statements by its proponents.

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Measure BBB is opposed by the Long Beach Reform Coalition, comprised of a number of grassroots LB groups and veteran neighborhood activists. BBB is also independently opposed editorially by the LB Business Journal., The LB Area Chamber of Commerce has taken a "neutral" position on BBB.

Vote by mail ballots have been flying for roughly three weeks. Polling-place election day is November 6.

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