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1. Public Safety
I am honored that the Long Beach Firefighters and Long Beach
Police Officers have chosen to support my candidacy for the
Long Beach City Council. My highest priority has always been
Public Safety, and I am pleased that our first responders have
recognized my commitment to protecting our neighborhoods. I
look forward to working with Long Beach firefighters, police
officers, Fire Chief Dave Ellis, Police Chief Tony Batts and
other public safety personnel to ensure that local residents
and businesses continue to receive the outstanding service
and response times that they have grown accustomed to.
According to President Rich Brandt, “Public Safety is
essential to the Long Beach community. Gary DeLong recognizes
the importance of a highly trained first class fire department,
and is committed to ensuring that the department receives the
necessary resources to continue to provide a high quality service
to Long Beach residents and businesses.”
I am also pleased that Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca
has chosen to endorse my candidacy. According to Sheriff Baca, “Public
Safety is essential to the Long Beach community and is the
driving force behind the city's success. Gary DeLong recognizes
that public safety must be every community’s #1 priority,
and he is committed to ensuring that law enforcement receives
the necessary resources to provide exceptional services for
Long Beach residents and businesses.”
I will use my business experience to improve public safety,
while working to reduce expenses, increase revenues, and make
the city more fiscally sound, so we do not have to raise taxes.
I will work collaboratively with community members, business
leaders, cops, firefighters, City staff and other government
agencies and officials from the Long Beach Unified School
District, Long Beach City College, Cal State Long Beach, the
Port and
others to develop a vision to make sure Long Beach is a safer
place in which to live.
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2. Budget
As your City Council member, I want to make our city operate better by reducing
expenses, increasing revenues, and making it into a fiscally sound, well-managed
organization, as I did with my telecommunications company.
As we all know, our city is dealing with a multi-million dollar
budget shortfall. We also know that as a result of budget deficit,
it will be necessary for Long Beach city government
to cut expenses.
With my experience in financial management, I will work to
weed out government waste, make the bureaucracy more responsive
(especially to community/neighborhood needs) and, working collaboratively
with the new mayor, the council, businesses, and the Port of
Long Beach, put the City back on firm fiscal footing without
reducing services or increasing taxes.
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3. The Port
The Port of Long Beach is the largest municipally
owned harbor in the nation and the second busiest container
seaport in the United States, after only Los Angeles. The Port
is a major transportation and trade center, providing the shipping
terminals for nearly one third of the waterborne trade moving
through the West Coast. Nearly $96 billion in trade moved through
the Port of Long Beach in 2003. Port related activities support
320,000 jobs and nearly $15 billion in wages in Southern California.
The Port is a tremendous resource and job generator for our
city and the region. But its sheer size and impact on the
region, both economically and environmentally, means that the
Port,
which is a city department governed by the Mayor-appointed,
Council approved Harbor Commissioners, must work closely
with the tenants, businesses, residents and environmental groups
to ensure a balance between commerce and local quality of
life.
One of the frequent subjects of discussion is pollution associated
with the Port of Long Beach. Many residents recognize that
the Port is a valuable economic engine that creates high
wage jobs for our community. Yet, they are concerned about
the amount
of pollution that is generated by ships, trucks, trains
and others.
If elected, I will meet regularly with port management to
work together to implement ideas that reduce pollution.
Cold Ironing – This technology should be part
of all new and reconstructed berths to reduce/eliminate the
use of
auxiliary diesel engines by providing electrical power at
each berth.
Vessel Speed Reduction – 10% of vessel emissions (3
tons/day) could be eliminated by reducing ship speed to 12
knots when approaching the harbor.
National Train Distribution Network - Replace old locomotive
engines with state of the art engines, which would reduce pollution
caused by trains by over 90%.
Regulatory – Work closely with the AQMD, CARB and the
EPA to reduce emissions from ships entering or exiting the
Long Beach & Los Angeles ports by requiring those ships
to use cleaner burner fuels.
It’s clear that the solution consists of numerous entities
working together. Collaboration among the Port, shipping industry,
terminal operators and regulatory agencies is essential. If
I am elected, you can count on me to join this group as well.
Why? Because reducing pollution in Long Beach is everyone’s
business.
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4. The 3rd District Community
As your Councilmember, I will take the time to leave City
Hall and spend time in the neighborhoods, homes and businesses
of the 3rd District to be more easily accessible and available
to all constituents.
I will continue the 3rd District’s tradition of Joint
Council meetings, where representatives of the neighborhood
organizations within the District meet with their Councilmember,
discuss their concerns, and work together to solve the district’s
problems.
I will also work individually with community members, citizens
organizations, and business groups to ensure our neighborhoods
are enhanced and our communities get the attention they deserve.
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5. Environment
Our city has about seven miles of beaches – most of
it in the 3rd District. In addition, the 3rd District includes
a
great deal of valuable open space and preserved areas, such
as the Los Cerritos Wetlands and Sims Pond that not only beautify
our communities, but improve our quality of life. However,
with a walkway and a bike path right next to the water, our
beaches are often fouled with trash and other debris. I am
committed to cleaning up our local beaches and keeping them
clean.
Storm water and storm drain runoff – not only from Long
Beach, but from cities to our north and west – is the
largest source of pollution and the predominant cause of beach
closures in Long Beach. The State Regional Water Control Board
in Los Angeles County issued stronger Clean Water Act permits
to local cities in 2001, requiring stepped-up industrial inspections,
enhanced public education and additional efforts to meet water
quality standards, and a number of other improvements. I will balance environmental concerns with business/economic
concerns, in accordance with our community-authored documents,
the Local Coastal Plan (LCP) and the Southeast Area Development
and Improvement Plan (SEADIP). I will work with agencies, conservation
groups, and developers to build what should be built and protect
what should be protected.
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6. The Business Community
Business growth in Long Beach needs to be measured not just
in the number of new jobs, but also in the quality of those jobs.
Economic well-being for the entire community can only be attained
by developing a comprehensive business plan that provides the
tools to allow Long Beach residents to help themselves and encourages
job development in the new knowledge-based economy.
It’s in our residents’ interest to have healthy
businesses that are a part of the fabric of the City's economy.
A successful business community creates a valuable asset to the
local economy, which with responsible growth and management can
provide the revenues the City needs to maintain and improve services
and infrastructure. This is true both downtown and in our District.
We need to balance economic, environmental, and social issues,
providing the opportunity for a successful and satisfying life
for all residents.
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7. Long Beach Airport
I oppose increasing the number of flights at Long Beach Airport.
I appreciate the impacts that a mid-city airport have on residents
in nearby areas. I also recognize, as many in our community do,
the value of a well-run, profitable airport. I support efforts
to modernize the airport facility and provide reasonable accommodations
and services to travelers.
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8. Open Government
I believe in making City Hall work better. A more open government
fosters greater community involvement.
As Councilmember, I will spend a significant amount of my time
outside City Hall in the 3rd District, talking and meeting with
residents and business people to understand their concerns and
make government
accessible
and responsive to everyone. I will keep the community well informed
about the issues that are being considered at City Hall and I
will
seek
out, as well as give ample opportunity for, community input before
Council decisions are made.
My goal is for City Hall to provide reliable, quality services
to the citizens of Long Beach and serve its citizens with an
open door policy where everyone’s opinions and ideas are
respected. I want Long Beach to be known everywhere as what we
already know it to be – a friendly, gracious and safe place
to live and raise a family.
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