EDITORIAL: By Ryan ZumMallen. Mayor Foster has been all over the city campaigning for Measure I—so why did he decline an invitation to debate last night?
The Long Beach Press Club, a organization of local journalists and members of the media, held its third meeting ever last night at Smooth’s Sports Grille, shaking things up a bit by inviting public debate over a local issue. The issue: Measure I. The participants: Mayor Foster (in favor, obviously) and Terry Jensen (against). Foster’s camp declined the invitation.
His absence was noticeable, and a frequent topic of conversation before, after and during Jensen’s presentation (we’re journalists, after all). But the actual “No thanks” from the Mayor’s office was not in itself the thing that struck people the wrong way. It’s that Mayor Foster has been very publicly making the rounds to every community group that will have him, as he presents his ambitious plan to improve Long Beach’s infrastructure through a parcel tax. Declining an invitation to speak to members of the local press, and in the first debate setting that he would have encountered since launching the campaign, gave Jensen the chance to speak unobstructed in opposition to Measure I.
Jensen, a former member of the city’s Redevelopment Agency who has worked in real estate for more than 25 years, called the Measure “a very good idea, and a very bad plan.” He would be very much in favor of a plan to fix the city’s infrastructure, even admitting that he was pleased when the Measure was first announced and scorned past Long Beach officials for letting conditions deteriorate as they have. But after looking into the details of Measure I and assessing the city’s budget, Jensen could not support the plan.
“There is a trust issue,” Jensen said. “But even if there wasn’t, it’s not right for the Mayor to say, ‘Trust us.’ Show us!”
Mainly, Jensen said, the trust issue stems from the possibility that the City Council would be able to divert funds raised by Measure I into the General Fund. Mayor Foster has recently admitted the possiblity, but downplayed the scenario by claiming that only $2.1 million of the $571 million bond would be eligible, and vowed to veto any future Council attempt to do so.
However, by Jensen’s account, up to $33.6 million would be eligible to move into the General Fund. And sure, Mayor Foster could veto any attempt, but what about the Mayor that follows him? Long Beach will be paying for Measure I for decades, and Mayor Foster will not always be there to oversee how the money is spent. Jensen reiterated that the Mayor is asking residents to trust not only him and the current Councils, but future Mayors and future Councils. And judging by past actions, Jensen is none too optimistic.
“Past behavior is a damn-good indicator of future behavior,” he said, citing examples of financial mismanagement that have plagued the city’s budget year after year. “It is unfair of them to ask us to leave it up to them… given their post and current performance.”
Jensen made some good points, and could come to be known as the Bud Johnson of Measure I—both private citizens with extensive backgrounds in the city, who bring their expertise to current issues. Johnson used years as an engineer in the Long Beach Harbor to independently craft a plan for the Long Beach Breakwater, while Jensen brings his insight to dissect Measure I—also offering to work with the Mayor to create a similar but better plan that will be more financially efficient and create a concrete list of improvements to be made.
It was a fascinating presentation that reiterated concerns about Measure I, and also brought new ones to light. It would have been extremely helpful to have had an opposing voice to address Jensen’s concerns. This is the tragedy, that Jensen posed legitimate questions that deserve answers. He sought not to condemn the Mayor’s plan but to point out its flaws in order to help it. An opposing voice to Jensen would have served to create dialogue and mold a plan that will work—instead a well-constructed but one-sided point of view was presented, and we’re left to wait for the answers that Jensen deserves.
Click here for the Measure I website, and here for the No Measure I website.
The lbpost.com does not make political endorsements. However, as elections for officials and measures draw nearer, our writers/posters are free to endorse or support political candidates if they wish. In the coming weeks and months, you will notice endorsements from our writers concerning all levels of government. These are their opinions and words. Individual endorsements do not express the opinion of the other writers and/or the founders and staff of the lbpost.com.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor