FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: O’DONNELL JOINS FOSTER AND DELONG ON LIST OF LB OFFICIALS THINKING HIGHER OFFICE
By LBReport.com
LONG BEACH (via LBReport.com)—City Councilmember Patrick O’Donnell of the 4th district revealed to LBReport.com Saturday that that he is considering a run for the 54th Assembly District seat in 2012, becoming the third member of the city’s current governing body to cue the drumroll for an eventual, official announcement of candidacy for higher office.
“I have no announcement to make at this time, but I am definitely considering it [an Assembly run] and talking to people in the community about it,” O’Donnell told LBReport.com. “I’ve spoken to community leaders, business leaders and labor leaders and I’m getting a positive response. People are encouraging me to do so” [seek the state office].”
Although there has been plenty of speculation that O’Donnell would seek another office in 2012, when Long Beach’s term-limits ordinance would prohibit him from being re-elected to a third term, the council member has consistently avoided the question. O’Donnell dodged GreaterLongBeach.com’s most-recent inquiry on May 7 at the Dana Branch Library, where he read Robert The Rose Horse to a group of children during the First Books portion of First Fridays in Bixby Knolls.
On July 14, Councilmember Gary DeLong of the 3rd council district told the Press-Telegram he has established an exploratory committee in connection with a possible run for Congress in 2012, but that much will depend upon whether the Citizens Redistricting Commission creates a Long Beach-centered Congressional district.
Last September, Mayor Bob Foster announced the formation of a political committee so that he can run for state treasurer in 2014. Formation of the committee permits Foster to begin raising money.
27 Comments
Considering the poor financial shape of Long Beach compared to most other surrounding cities, why do these three elected officials feel they are entitled to represent Long Beach residents from a higher office?
O’Donnell, DeLong and Foster have spent the last 6-years serving the politically well connected few and allowed the majority of Long Beach to struggle. The Tom Deans, Mike Murchisons, Alex Cherins, Jeff Bergers, John Hancocks, Steve Conleys of the world all prospered from the actions of these elected officials while the rest of Long Beach is mired in the economic slowdown.
While DeLong and Foster are indeed “short-timers” in Long Beach, all three have spent the last 6-years merely using Long Beach as their stepping stone to higher elected office.
In my opinion, this announcement is not about three elected officials who have served their representative communities with distiction and deserve continued service in higher office. This is more about three rats leaving a sinking ship.
Mr. Ruehle’s opinion is just not supported by the facts.
If we compare and contrast the state’s 10 most populace cities, Long Beach is actually in better financial condition than almost all of them. A brief internet search on the anticipated or actual budget deficits of these cities (Long Beach ranks 7th) reveals the following deficit-related information:
1. Los Angeles: $492 million
2. San Diego: $33 million
3. San Jose: $115 million
4. San Francisco (city and county): $750 million
5. Fresno: $28 million
6. Sacramento: $39 million
7. Long Beach: $18.5 million
8. Oakland: $30.5 million
9. Bakersfield (could not locate any data)
10. Anaheim: $10 million
As bad as it has been in Long Beach, lately, it has been much worse elsewhere in the state or in California itself, which, as a state, recently released its own revised deficit numbers of $9.6 billion (yes, “billion”.)
I would suggest, then, that the degree to which Mayor Foster and Councilmembers O’Donnell and DeLong may have been partly responsible for helping to keep our city’s deficit numbers *down* in comparison to other large cities, is the degree to which they should be considered for support in seeking higher office.
With term limits and the new state redistricting…it appears that there are few places for LB politicians to go. The Mayor’s office and the Assembly district appear to be the only places for “advancement”. The State Senate and the Congressional districts do not appear to be ‘liberal” friendly.
I expect the next 10 years in the Assembly and Mayor’s race will see a lot of Democratic blood-letting with so few places for so many politicians with so much ambision.
So Long Beach is only $18.5 million in the hole?
Where’d I put that bottle of Cold Duck I was saving?
Not good I’ll agree, Theo. But not nearly as bad by comparison as many seem to believe. The entire world economy contracted and affected almost every nation, and every state and city in our own. There was much LB might have done, and still might do, to recover and become more fiscally responsible. Time will tell whether we will ever learn our lessons in that regard.
O’Donnell covered-up DeLong’s and Foster’s involvement in the Wetlands bulldozing incident 2-years ago. O’Donnell admitted in emails (still have them) that he knew DeLong and city staff met with Sean Hitchcock (the destroyer) about developing the wetlands before the bulldozing occurred but chose to not say anything about it to the environmental groups O’Donnell prides himself a member of.
Then the hypocrite attended the Los Cerritos Wetlands post bulldozing vigil to cover his involvement. Is this the two-faced type of elected official we want to represent us in the Assembly?
Citizen Journalist Quote of the Day — Anger, Reason and Opinions
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” — Buddha
“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” — Buddha
“People with opinions just go around bothering each other.” — Buddha
(Source: Buddhist Quotes — selfimprovementnow.com)
When Mr Ruehle’s denigrating opinion concerning city finances fails the test of logic, he resorts, instead to tired innuendos against Foster, O’Donnell and DeLong for which he presents zero proof.
If Mr. Ruehle has objectively verifiable proof that Councilmember O’Donnell participated in concealing Mayor Foster’s or Councilmember DeLong’s true involvement in Hitchcock’s unlawful wetland activities, Ruehle should present that proof, or move on to the next illogical or unfounded allegation.
O’Donnell is indeed a hypocrite. For at least the last few years his every move and vote have been about positioning himself to run fro higher office, and in the process he has thrown the interests of the citizens of Long Beach under the bus. No real character.
Hi Richard, Can you offer any specific examples of votes you feel Mr. O’Donnell has cast that have not been in the best interest of the citizens of Long Beach or, at least, of the majority of his own constituents. Trying to learn here. Thanks!
Who is this Greet (.” What, me worry ?”) fellow, seems to be a cheerleader for the lbc govt. I’ll bet he is so content because he is someone getting a big ole city pension .
@ bill: Yes I currently collect a public safety pension and I believe I earned every single penny of it and then some. Perhaps you disagree. If so, perhaps you’d care to explain why.
I am no more content with, and no less critical of, many aspects of CLB government than most anyone else here. The clear difference, though, is that I do not resort to false, fraudulent, or other misleading rhetorical tactics so as to make my points. Another difference is that rather than constantly and chronically complaining about an issue, I try to offer constructive and productive solutions. Perhaps you take exception to that approach.
Another difference, as has been illustrated here, is that when someone makes a generalized critical assertion about a public figure (as both Mr. Ruehle and Richard have done), I think he or she should offer some specifics so that his or her claims can be examined more critically and either proven true or disproven as false. Perhaps you dislike this approach as well.
That explains it.
A public safety pensioner that says he deserves even more pension money from the city teet, of course you are a cheerleader for the ones that have given you such a sweet pension deal , the same deal that is a big part of our deficit problem.
Yes I can see that you seem prefer the same basic insulting and dismissive discussion tactics of some others here. That is unfortunate. So much is lost in the way of understanding and progress with tactics such as those.
Understanding and progress ? For who?
My style may be rough but so is the truth. Kills me that (you) a public servant that was paid well during his working years and is now retired with a nice pension no private worker would ever see, thinks he deserves more. Priceless
“…the same basic insulting and dismissive discussion tactics…”
bill from LB, be careful not to rile recently retired Long Beach Police Officer Greet or he will remind you that he still carries a gun.
“…the same basic insulting and dismissive discussion tactics…”
But the truth..
You are as dismissive and insulting as me, you just use nicer language.
No, “bill” it is not true to refer to me as a cheerleader for LBC government. It is not true that I am content with every aspect of the manner in which our city is run. It is not true that I believe I deserve even more pension money from the city. It is not true that I beleive I deserve a larger pension.
Pretty much every statement you have made here is false so, no, you are not “rough but true” you are simply dismissive and insulting,
Get back to me should you decide to trut to be otherwise.
A direct quote from John Greet:
“And just like the despicable Mr. Ruehle, you have now chosen to speak flippantly, superficially, and with considerable dishonor.”
http://www.lbpost.com/news/greggory/11971
Apparently Greet’s standard for courteousness and respectfullness applies to everyone ELSE but himself. What a hypocrite.
Mr. Ruehle you consistently speak flippantly, superficially, and with considerable dishonor. I find such speech to be despicable, particulary in your case, where you also combine those with your other unfortunate habits of posting false, fraudulent, and otherwise misleading comments in attempts to persuade people to your points of view.
If you find my honest assessments to be discourteous and disrespectful, I suppose we will have to agree to disagree.
So you never said you deserve more?
Mr Greet
”Yes I currently collect a public safety pension and I believe I earned every single penny of it and then some.” Hmmm
And only a cheerleader for the LBC government would indicate that an 18 million dollar deficit, 7th on a list of ten worst Cal city deficits , is not so bad.
You wax poetic but dishonestly.
No, bill, I never said I “deserve” anything, let alone more of anything. Still, I can see that my grammar may have been less clear than I intended. I’ll revise it: Yes I currently collect a public safety pension and I believe I earned -and then some- every single penny of it. Better?
I listed the 10 largest Cal cities, among which CLB ranks 7th and then noted that CLB has the 2nd -or possibly 3rd- smallest deficit among those cities. This is not cheerleading, it is perspective, and I think some of us could benefit from a healthy dose of that during these discussions. I never said CLB’s deficit is “not so bad.” I simply said that that CLB is actually in better financial condition than almost all of the other comparison cities, and this is true.
I believe there is much work that can be done to make all aspects CLB government more transparent, more efficient, more responsive, more fiscally responsible, and more effective at serving the people of Long Beach. We will not likely accomplish anything constructive in this area, however, until we commit to meeting one another in the arena of ideas in a more honest, more respectful and less condescending manner.
I do not wax dishonestly. I leave the false, fraudulent, and otherwise misleading rhetorical tactics to people like Mr. Ruehle.
And guess what? I understand the greet is feeding at the public trough yet again!
Maybe this clown is going to shoot for three pubic pensions?
greet they are called pensions for a reason. I don’t believe you should be drawing your if you continue to work. But hey it’s all about you, anyways.
Mr. wrong, unless I am mistaken, in this greatest of nations, we all have a right to pursue whatever profession we like and to earn a living and provide for our families by whatever lawful means we choose. Perhaps you would like to see those with whom you happen to disagree deprived of those rights.
Fortunately for all of us, no one has died and made you king.
It really does not matter much to me what you “believe” concerning the drawing of a public employee pension or how or when that happens. I receive the pension payments I have earned in the manner prescribed by laws and procedures that the people’s duly-elected representatives enacted. If enough voters dislike those laws and rules, then they have the authority and the *responsibility* to see them changed.
Rather than recreate for the rest of my life, I have chosen to return to employment and, so, to try to remain a productive member of my society. Perhaps in my place you would have made a different choice. If so, it would have been your right to make it. Just as it was my right to make mine. I would not begrudge you your choice, why do you seem to need to begrudge me, mine?
Many people in the private sector who have retired -and who are collecting pensions (about 16% of American in the private sector)- have chosen to return to work and are now remaining productive and earning additional incomes. Some because they need to, some because they want to. Either way they have the right and the freedom to do so. Yet we do not hear you complaining in those instances do we, or asserting that in their choosing to do so they are making it “all about them.”
Strange.