Promoting Business in Long Beach

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The Long Beach City Council elections April 10 will be critical for the future of Long Beach business development. Will we have business growth and new development for our city for years to come, or more tax-and-spend policies?

In the 4th District, Councilman Patrick O’Donnell is termed out and will run as a write-in hoping to finish in the top two vote-getters so his name will appear on the June runoff ballot. If a candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, there will be no runoff.

O’Donnell claims to be business friendly, but in fact, he just voted “no” on one of the most significant economic development opportunities in our history, the 2nd+PCH project. This would have been a $330 million condo-retail-hotel complex project, which would have created more than 1,000 jobs as well as sales tax revenue for many years to come.

His “yes” votes on pension spikes has cost our city tens of millions of dollars and helped create a projected $20 million deficit for next year. O’Donnell voted against evaluating the financial benefits of outsourcing street sweeping. He also voted for project labor agreements for both the Port of Long Beach and the Long Beach Airport, which will result in increased construction costs. O’Donnell raised more than $60,000 from major unions.

Insider party politics are also very apparent. O’Donnell, termed out by law, decided to run for a state Assembly seat. However, the Democrats’ state leaders wanted someone else to run for that position, more or less forcing O’Donnell to run as a write-in.

The Long Beach Business Journal and the Press-Telegram have asked O’Donnell without getting a straight answer: If elected to a third term to the City Council, will you serve all four years or will you run for the state Assembly in two years and cost the taxpayers $130,000 for a special election?

The Press-Telegram said, “The editorial board could not find a compelling reason to ignore the spirit of the city’s term-limits law and give him a third term.”

O’Donnell has two opponents and one is our chamber’s Long Beach Jobs PAC-endorsed candidate John Watkins. The Press-Telegram, the Apartment Association of California Southern Cities also endorsed him. Watkins is married and a father of six, and he recently retired as a Long Beach Police Department sergeant after serving 29 years. He is a small-business owner as well as a 30-year resident of the district. His background as a police officer gives him a real knowledge of fighting crime and gang violence. His years of experience as a small-business owner bodes well for his understanding of how important jobs are to getting our economy back on track. In addition, Watkins has committed to donate his first two years of salary (approximately $60,000) back to 4th District community programs.

The Press-Telegram had this to say: “Watkins also offers a business-friendly approach. …. He would like the city to make it easier to attract businesses, and he certainly has the credentials. He has some practical business experience as well. Watkins and his wife started and ran a number of businesses.”

Eighth District

In the 8th District, our endorsement goes to Lillian Kawasaki, who has over 35 years of professional public service and is a director for the Water Replenishment District. She is the former assistant general manager of environmental affairs for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which included managing the economic and community revitalization and job-creation program. She was also a director for the Port of Los Angeles Environmental Management Division. Her Long Beach leadership has included the Long Beach Water Commission; co-founding the Association of Women in Water, Energy and the Environment; and serving on the Long Beach Historical Society Advisory Committee.

Former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill had this to say about Kawasaki: “She is one of the most qualified candidates I have had the pleasure to support.” Kawasaki has this very impressive and diversified list of endorsements: O’Neill, current Mayor Bob Foster, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, Long Beach City Auditor Laura Doud, Long Beach City College Board President Doug Otto, Long Beach Unified School District Board Member Mary Stanton, the Sierra Club, Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 494, and the Press-Telegram.

One of her two opponents is Al Austin, a longtime union organizer who moved his residence to the 6th District five years ago and with major union support, lost a close race to current Councilman Dee Andrews. He moved back to the 8th District and will have that same union backing. If Austin loses in the 8th District race this year, will he continue his carpetbagger ways and move back to the 6th District when Councilman Andrews is termed out in 2014?

John Watkins and Lillian Kawasaki have the leadership, experience and commitment that Long Beach needs. It’s time to pass the torch to two new candidates with refreshing ideas for a better Long Beach.


Randy Gordon is president and chief executive of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

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