Schipske District 5 Journal.com

I am sending along a link to our City Manager Pat West about FilmLA which according to their website is a non-profit coporation that helps cities with its permit process for movie filming. Because of its connections in the movie industry, it may be a valued added service and the City needs to look into […]

Council had a study session on the budget and received the bad news about a $17 million deficit. Thank god for oil revenues or we would be in much worse shape.
I expressed my thoughts on revenue enhancements (see prior blog) and will be working on an idea given to me by my tax CPA that […]

The Council will have a “study session” this coming Tuesday on the budget and potential ways to raise revenues.
I will share with you what I am bringing forth at this study session:
Revenue Enhancements
There are several ways in which a City can enhance its revenues:

Enact efficiencies — when people work smarter and more efficiently you get […]

Many of the several hundred people who responded to my survey on “How Should the City Spend Your Money” requested more information on the budget process as well as information on what each of the City Departments actually do and how many staff they employ.
I am including a number of documents for your reading pleasure. […]

I made brief remarks tonight at the first concert of the 99th Anniversary of the Long Beach Municipal Band at El Dorado Park. Great turn out!
Many people came and talked with me during intermission to express their support of the City continuing the Municipal Band concerts and asking that we do some extra planning for […]

Last year I posted a budget priorities survey and received 101 responses.
This year, so far I have received 267 responses. I had received  last week 240 responses and then an additional 27 when www.lbreport.com posted the call for responses.
I am keeping the survey open through July and will share the results publicly. Also, I will […]

Several people have contacted me about the fact that when they receive an RSS email — that alert you get in your email mailbox that I have posted something on my blog — it doesn’t always include the entire message.
Also, if I have put a link — say to the survey — in the blog, […]

Oh my! As we fret why our Aquarium is no longer known as the Long Beach Aquarium, the current issue of Conde Nast Portfolio Magazine features 16 major beach communities in the U.S. and ranks in terms of which have had the most “fecal violations” in their waters. Yuck!!!
Who was the worst in this national […]

At my request, the City Manager reviewed the list of city-owned properties identified by Mr. Joe Sopo of Neighborhoods First, as potential alternative sites for placement of a homeless facility to be operated by MHA for those homeless needing mental health services.
In order for the City to obtain one of the last pieces of federal […]