Archive for November, 2007
« Previous EntriesSchipske Launches www.lbtalkback.com — Now You Can Comment on City Council Agenda
Friday, November 30th, 2007
www.lbtalkback.com Goes Live — Now You Can Comment on City Council Agenda On-Line
Schipske Launches Website To Allow Comment on Weekly City Council Agenda
Long Beach, CA - December 1, 2007– Continuing her efforts to make city government more transparent and interactive, Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske today announced the launch of www.lbtalkback.com a website/blog that posts the […]
Correction — Needles and Syringes Are Not Free
Friday, November 30th, 2007I need to correct something I wrote a couple of days ago. The needles and syringes being provided to drug users at local, neighborhood pharmacies (as approved by the majority of the City Council) are not free. I was incorrect and I apologize for the mistake.
The drug user will be required to pay out of […]
Spending Time With Cub and Boy Scouts
Thursday, November 29th, 2007I have been fortunate to have the time to talk with two Packs of Cub and Boy Scouts who are interested in government.
Last night I visited with Pack 117 at Newcomb Academy and was grilled by a very handsome group of young men (and their parents) about being on the City Council and government in […]
Why I voted against free needles for drug users!
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007I was the lone vote on the City Council against a program to allow local pharmacies to provide free hypodermic syringes and needles to drug users who sign up with the City’s Health Department. The program is legal and authorized by the state of California with the hope it will reduce the number of HIV/AIDS […]
3,875 Americans
Tuesday, November 27th, 20073,875 Americans. That’s the number of people who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflict as of today. A war that we’ve been involved in longer than we were involved in World War II.
28,865 Americans. That’s the number of military who have been wounded in this war — brain trauma being the largest number […]
The Ethics of Gifts and Public Service
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007There is an excellent article for elected officials in the October 2007 edition of www.westerncity.com titled: “Making a List and Checking It Twice: Preparing for the Season of Giving.”
The article outlines suggestions as to how elected officials can handle gifts from outside sources. Bottom line, “the handling of the gift issue is easier and more […]
Let’s Get Accurate –Christmas and Hits on the Blog
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007Ok, I have been taken to task by a reader of the blog that my posting on hitting “a quarter of a million” and then indicating that the counter showed 226,000 was not equal to a quarter of a million. She’s right…but it actually has hit the 1/4 million mark and I will admit I […]
Restricting Consent Agenda Discussion a Big Mistake
Tuesday, November 20th, 2007There is an item on the Council agenda tonight that would restrict the public’s right to remove a Consent Agenda item for separate discussion.
I researched as many other cities in California as I had time to — and didn’t find any that prohibited the removal of a consent agenda item by the public.
Yes, the City […]
The Ducks Aren’t Democrats…
Sunday, November 18th, 2007While attending a press conference at the El Dorado Duck Pond regarding the unveiling of the new signs telling visitors that feeding the ducks and birds in the pond is harmful to them, I talked with a couple of families who had come with bread and seed in hand to feed the ducks.
Of the five […]
Please Don’t Feed the Birds
Sunday, November 18th, 2007 The Lakes, Ponds and Wetlands Task Force unveiled the new signs that are posted around the “duck pond” reminding people not to feed the ducks or other birds in the city’s man-made bodies of water.
The Task Force started a year ago after 5th District resident, Jill Brennan, brought to my attention the death of over […]