| Los Angeles County, CA | April 8, 2014 Election |
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Views on other IssuesBy Jana K. ShieldsCandidate for Mayor; City of Long Beach |
This information is provided by the candidate | |
Views on the breakwater reconfiguration, homelessess issues, and marijuana dispensaries.1. Reconfiguring the breakwater: I support some modification of the breakwater to create a flow of water to clean up the coastline. I support repairing the deteriorating protection needed for those living near the beach. I don't support total removal of the breakwater to try to restore wave action to attract surfers. 2. PAC Funding: I have not applied for nor received funding from PACs. There is a conflict of interest for candidates receiving funding from City employee PACs, as some require a pledge to be signed that the candidate will support union interests after elected. When the City Employee Union contracts then come before the City Council for approval, those candidates don't speak out about the overly generous benefits and pensions promised. 3. Long Beach Civic Center: Decisions on how to improve the Civic Center need to be delayed for the new mayor and city council to decide. The private-public partnership model needs to be considered with caution and only considered without giving away City land. The decision process needs to be opened up to public input, which has been denied to date. Retrofitting City Hall needs to be seriously considered. The old court house needs to be demolished and rebuilt as office space. A multistory building could go where the library current sits, which would add office space over the new library. Lincoln Park could be moved to another location, as the congregation of homeless there needs to be addressed. 4. Most serious environmental issue: Air and water pollution are the most serious environmental issue. Contamination from trash and runoff needs more cooperation from cities up-river and more attention locally by removing trash from street drains. Air pollution needs to be more aggressively addressed, especially from port traffic. Electric hookups for ships, banning dirty fuels, non-diesel port vehicles, and clean trucks are some of the programs that need to be more aggressively pursued. 5. Top three priorities: Pension reform: Real pension reform in the area of benefits to retiring employees would help solve the unfunded pension liabilities of one billion. Providing sustainable pensions for our city employees will guarantee them pensions in the future and will save our city services from further cuts to pay pensions. Making Long Beach Business Friendly: City Hall is difficult for local businesses to deal with. They need to be consumer friendly and helpful, services need to be streamlined to speed up new business start-ups, and license and permit fees need to be frozen. I will make Long Beach the easiest City in SoCal to do business with. Upgraded City website: The antiquated city website can be easily and cheaply upgraded to allow financial information to be uploaded and City services to be easily accessible online. 6. Three greatest City assets: The Port of Long Beach, a go-to place for tourists and conventions, and the concentration of higher education and medical industry entities. 7. Three greatest problems: Cost of local government being greater than the private sector/taxpayers can support, need to increase revenue base through economic development, and escalating cost of pension liabilities being one billion dollars and growing. 8. Homelessness: 40% of homeless people are mentally ill, about 20% are drug addicted refusing help, with the remaining 40% including those too old or disabled to work plus those that are open to a hand up to help them rehabilitate into productive citizens. Each of these groups needs specialized help. I would work with government entities and nonprofits and concerned citizens to maximize comprehensive help for those willing to accept it. However, our way of life guards the rights of the individual and allows them to refuse assistance. 9. Marijuana dispensaries: State regulations allow for physically sick people to legally use medical marijuana for medicinal purposes. However anyone can go online and become a card-carrying medical marijuana user, which makes the dispensaries a front for illegal drug dealing. I am not for Long Beach enabling illegal drug dealing. 10. SEADIP wetlands preservation: I am for wetlands preservation and low-impact economic development of the area. |
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