A week ago, I was expecting to write a fairly boring column about the upcoming City Council vote on whether to schedule a $510,000 special election related to the Hotel Labor Peace Agreement and the Big Box Grocery store ban.  The reason I say “boring” is because a week ago, it seemed like the Council members who had been for both of these would still be for them, those against still against, and a bunch of meaningless rhetoric would result in a foregone election.

 

That was until Council member Gerrie Schipske and now possibly Councilmember Tonia Reyes-Uranga, changed their positions on the Hotel Labor Peace Agreement.  Suddenly, there may be enough votes to ensure the ordinance’s defeat. 

 

This also means that now there is now only one item, an initiative overturning the Big Box Grocery Ban that may go to voters.  The City Council will now have to decide whether it is worth $490,000 (the new estimate) of taxpayer’s money just to keep Wal-Mart Big Box stores out of Long Beach.

 

Now the side that had previously been gearing up for a fight in February, led in public by the Chamber of Commerce, Wal-Mart and various Wal-Mart affiliated peoples, are emboldened and see an end in sight on Tuesday. 

 

Long Beach is a city that leans to the left politically, but the citizens of this city have a mainstream level headedness that infuses moderation, and disqualifies Long Beach as just another “liberal” city like Oakland, San Francisco, West Hollywood, or Los Angeles.  This could be a turning point for our city, and by shining the light on Long Beach on the issue of Wal-Mart and big box stores, it may make us closer to losing that eclectic uniqueness that gives us as a city our sensibility and individuality.

 

Therefore, the question is up to residents and people who care deeply for this city:  do we retain our uniqueness and eschew such an election, or do we get lumped in to become just another “liberal” city, known for hating Wal-Mart?