Last month, Mayor Foster announced during his State of the City Address plans for a community investment bond measure to be proposed later this year.
Mayor Foster: “Later this year, I will ask the Council to place a citywide community investment bond measure before the voters. A thoughtful, long-term investment plan for the Long Beach of tomorrow to fix streets and sidewalks, public safety buildings, and storm water systems; upgrade parks and libraries, and finally build a civic center complex of which the whole city can be proud. This plan will include provisions for the revenue necessary to make these investments, and everything will be considered in seeking a legitimate solution to our needs. We owe the future generations of Long Beach nothing less.”
As I walked out of the State of the City, I started a conversation with Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal about the Mayor’s plan. Honestly, I have never spoken face-to-face with her until then but have been a fan of her style and grace long before our encounter. Suja has a proactive approach to representing her district. I noted in my March 2007 post “Show Us Something“: Councilmember Suja Lowenthal increased her political momentum last week by showing us what we want; she delivered 760 new parking spaces and over 150 currently unused parking spaces throughout the Second District. Everyone hates parking downtown. Especially, if you live there.”
In keeping with this theme, the Mayor is showing us something that might just work. My first reaction to the Mayor’s announcement was the basis of my conversation with Suja. I told her that a new civic center complex being a huge part of the bond is a bad idea. Who cares about a new civic center when our streets are in shambles? Suja noted that the current civic center does not live up to current seismic standards and a new civic center will allow a long-term cost savings for the city by centralizing many city offices scattered throughout Long Beach. I get that. But are those cost savings worth it when our streets and infrastructure should be the top priority?
In a more recent conversation, Councilmember Gary Delong noted that each funding component of the bond should be separate in terms of how it is presented to the voters. If you want street and sidewalk repairs, then vote for it. If you do not want a new civic center, then do not vote for that. I agree with Gary and hope that is what I see on the ballot. However, conventional political wisdom demands the best way to pass the bond will be to join a new civic center with street and side walk repairs. In other words, to get one thing you got to vote for it all. I hope Gary’s separation idea gains momentum.
The Mayor deserves credit for showing us the idea of a community investment bond. Once his idea is detailed later this year it will be interesting to see if he gives us choices.