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Making Public Whom I Meet With
By Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske | June 10, 2007
I campaigned on a concept called: TINCUP — Time Is Now To Clean Up Politics — and one of the keystones of this proposal was to require city council members to place on the agenda information under each agenda item as to whether or they had received any campaign contributions from anyone supporting or opposing the item. This would eliminate the need for voters to have to research campaign reports.
The recent discussion in council and in the Elections Oversight Committee about requiring lobbyists (i.e. those who lobby city council members to vote for or against specific items) brought up the matter of how we inform the public who is lobbying us.
Lobbying is not bad. Lobbyists are not bad people. Organizations and businesses have the right to hire people to make their case with elected officials.
The reason for the proposed measure being discussed by Council is to make government as transparent as possible by requiring those who receive compensation to lobby us to disclose that in a public report.
As I have blogged before on this issue — I also believe that the City Council should make it a policy to not accept any gift from a lobbyist –even though current state and local law allows up to $360 in gifts from one source. (At the risk of being redundant and repeat what I said in committee and in past blogs: “these people aren’t buying councilmembers gifts because they like them….”)
So in the interest of “fair play” I will begin posting whom I have met with during the week so the public can know whom I have contacts with. Last week this included:
- Heart of the City production staff to tape a 90 second spot for the “Enough is Enough” program on the importance of providing opportunities for our youth.
- Alejandra Gutierrez of Graffiti Tracker, Inc. — a program I saw demonstrated at the Contract Cities Conference — the program takes photos of graffiti and tracks them to analyze patterns, locations, etc. for law enforcement.
- Theresa Marino with the City’s Department of Health and Human Services regarding bringing exhibits and displays to the 5th Council District Good Neighbor Festival and Family Picnic on Sept 23rd.
- Tom Reeves, City Prosecutor — to review the Gottcha program his office is using to track and prosecute those who do graffitti.
- B.J. Thompson, President of DARE and several others from the DARE program — to discuss how we can get the City to reinstate this program in the schools. I also requested that curriculum be added on graffiti so that kids can be taught why they shouldn’t be doing it.
- Suzanne Mason, Director of Human Resources to receive an update on the City’s health care benefits programs and to discuss my ideas on how the city might save money.
- Chris Shippey, Acting City Manager — to go over the Council agenda and receive updates on requests for services from 5th District constituents.
- Chief Anthony Batts — to discuss my concerns about getting critical information on police alerts to all principals in the LBUSD so they can tell teachers.
- Ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Golden Coast Bank formed by leaders in the Cambodian community.
- Lunch with Tom Hennessey so I could show him I don’t have horns and a tail. It went very well and we hugged when it was over.
- TALB awards banquet — to present certificates of appreciation from the Mayor and me to those teachers who are retiring.
- Mark Cristoffels and Tom Modica from the City’s Public Works and Government Relations departments — we personally inspected the flood control area and locked pedestrian bridge over Coyote Creek. Josh Butler of my staff came with us and photographed the graffiti on the residents’ back yard walls. Three of the Imperial Estates neighbors also walked with us and we heard an earful about the illegal activities taking place in this area — especially at night. This sparked an idea for me to form a Flood Control/Bike Path Safety Task Force to see how we can make it safer for everyone using and living near this area.
- Many residents of the El Dorado Park South Neighborhood who attended their picnic at El Dorado Park. Residents are upset about SCE trimming trees that blocked stray golf balls from hitting their homes; the condition of the public restroom; and the fact that several have been told to remove landscaping and patio furniture they have placed outside their back fences onto golf course property. Also a big concern about some of their neighbors parking large RV’s on lawns.
- Kids and parents at the Emerson Parkside Carnival.
I fit most of these meetings into a full day on Tuesday — that often begins at 9:00 am and goes until Council is over –which last week was past 11 pm. I meet with people over coffee in the morning before going to my job or at lunch; in the evenings and on the weekends.
Topics: City Council, My Week |
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