Another budget crisis in Long Beach seems looming. When officials’ comments from downtown say that expenses vs. income have reached the “tipping point,” we can presume the oft-quoted “Houston, we have a problem.” Or do we?
If we compare our city’s assets and net worth to that of most of our California neighbors, we’re probably one of the most financially sound. Long Beach has always prided itself in the ownership and operations of its core city enterprises. We have a first class Health Department that is only one of three city-operated agencies remaining in the state. We have a virtually debt-free Water Department and public transportation system. Our public works system of trash collection, recycling and electric energy generation, enough to provide electricity for 35,000 households, are the envy of our struggling big sister, Los Angeles. Police and fire first responders, although stretched thin, are equipped and ready when the need arises.
So what’s the problem? Well, some of our elected officials may be contemplating whether we should keep some of these core services or, as some report, contracting them out.
During the eight years I spent on the City Council, certain services such as street repair, resurfacing, landscaping and tree trimming were attractive targets for competitive bidding. But eliminating our local Health Department and defaulting to the county for health services is a notion not even worth discussing. Take a long, hard look at the county’s existing disaster with King-Harbor hospital to get a flavor of what could be in store for Long Beach residents.
How about public services, such as trash collection? Are you ready to welcome Chicago-style trash pickup and contracting negotiations? I’m not, and the very thought of dismantling our first class Public Works Department makes me shudder. And I’d much rather deal with our own city towing operations than listen to why my car ended up at a dismantling yard or better yet, towed away for violating some remote local ordinance only because the outside towing contractor needed to pump up his revenue stream.
Our citizens deserve and expect our leaders to respect our historical underpinnings. When our city charter was constructed and the various municipal city departments were created and evolved to what they are today, our community’s residents and neighborhoods benefited enormously. We’re a large, respected city now. Contracting our core services is a danger that would be irreversible and would severely damage years of progress.