Here we are folks: Undeniable, irrefutable proof of where we are in this economy. I have been stating for some while now that we will be heading into a deep depression. I am not trying to scare anyone but being prepared and knowing what is coming will give us the ability to change course, make new decisions and create a bulwark against the worst effects of this coming economic whirlpool.
I find it unbelievable that this City and it’s School System cannot understand the deep economic depression we will be in. Giving the City Manager a $24,000.00 raise, and yes I like Tom Modica, but the raise is foolish, when we most likely will have to cut salaries across the board. So why in the economic world would we raise anyone’s salary knowing we are going to be short of cash soon.
I also cannot support Long Beach Unified School District voting to give the new Superintendent, a $48,000.00 raise. This is pure insanity and we cannot financially sustain it. So remember my friends, vote in a board that will put children before bureaucrats.
We are at a time when we just can’t “suck up” to every organization that wants to throw money at candidates. Someone has to grow a spinal cord and grow it soon.
As we face a new economic reality we need people to restore the principles of government. Serve the People first, then allocate the rest. It will not serve to pull us up from an economic crisis to reward management with salary increases when the tap is running dry. Someone has to be the adult in the crowd.
Now is the time to formulate a detailed plan of economic survival and recovery. Any viable plan will incentivize small business and the creation of new small businesses as well as large enterprises. 80% of our people work outside the City. There is always a reason for everything.. Our sales tax is too high( and we are going to court for a recount of that issue as we speak)
Business licenses have gone through the roof. Health Department “licenses” have also gone over $1000.00. Services for our businesses are non-existent.
Proactively we need to hire a business ombudsman to guide new business owners through the process and assist them to get off to a good start.
(P.S. we need to get back to one week to process a business license rather than the 6 months to a year we are suffering from at present) We need courses for free to teach new businesses to succeed.. Taxes, worker’s comp, liability, labor law, product cost index, profit margin expectations, infrastructure costs, advertising percentage standards.. ETC
Yes I have done and taught all these things.
Now we need the City to take up that mantle and work with us.
We need to educate our population for new jobs, new technologies with down to earth coursework with a certificate so people can get a job. We need to help people to write resumes, how to dress for an interview, how to speak, interact, show off their sellable points. The City must take the lead on this, and not leave such critical matters to non-profits.
I believe this City should form a new company ( CleanScapes to higher our people to clean everything from sidewalks, to gutters, to alleys to highway entrances) People need work and not sometime in the distant future.
We need to downsize our staff in management overall. There is no other way to survive this coming time. We need to stop abuses of overtime ( like the police battlion chief making $420,400.00 per year on a $170,000.00 Wage. We have to stop enriching a few, and start helping the many.
These are the principles we need and we cannot afford one more month of prevarication and obfuscation. It is time for Long Beach City Hall to step up.
Let’s do the right thing.