Melody Ross, the 16-year-old girl who was fatally shot Friday night after the Wilson High-Poly High footballl game, wasn't on the agenda at Tuesday's council meeting. But she was on the minds of council members and the public alike.
Several council members and Mayor Bob Foster remarked on the teen's tragic death. A few members of the public demanded that the city create more park and recreation programs to keep youths out of trouble and more police to keep the streets safe.
Despite cuts implemented this year to every city department -- parks funding was drastically reduced and the number of police officers in Long Beach were slashed back to almost 2002 levels -- Councilman Gary DeLong noted that the council had voted at the end of the budget discussions to restore $500,000 to parks and rec programs.
Still, with more budget deficits expected through 2012, one has to wonder just how city officials will keep public safety programs -- both prevention and law enforcement -- at the levels that Long Beach needs. There's no way to know if Melody would have been saved if there had been just one more cop on the street or if the shooter had gotten a little more positive attention as a child. But having more of those resources couldn't hurt.
Paul Eakins reports on Long Beach City Hall, and local and regional
politics. A newcomer to the Press-
Kris Hanson reports on the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles,
covering environmental issues, economic triumphs and
pitfalls and trade trends of America’s largest port.
He also writes a weekly column “On The Waterfront”,
appearing Tuesdays, and also produces an occassional video
and column titled “On The Job,” which follows the hard-working
men and women who keep Southern California’s economy humming.
Karen Robes Meeks came to work for the Press-
Good for parks and recreation, but remember jobs. If a young man's family is hungry and he or his parents can't get jobs, he's going to be sucked into the drug selling culture to put food on the table. As an illegal activity, there is no rule but the rule of violence in that sector.
We are saving and saving ourselves to offer jobs that get young poor students into jobs that can give them experience they need to get better positions later.
You want to increase Long Beach city revenues?
Start charging Hollywood production copmanies the proper fees for shooting movies and tv show in our city. If I want to get a production permit I hsve to around $2,000. Hollywood production companies pay $5,000 or less. Thats ridiculess! These production companies bring no revenue. The actors stay in nice motor homes, not local hotels. They eat free catered food from craft servies. So restaurants don't make money! WTF?
Every time I read about cuts to essential services for Long Beach & close by cities, it breaks my nostalgic heart. Like thousands more, I was discharged in LB back in "73." Just came back from pumping fuel & passing ammo in Vietnam. I was only 18 pushing 19; and Long Beach was a jewel to me. But now I am reading about a rise across the board in crime, murders, arson, car theft, drive by shootings. I loved all the things you could do back then. Now it's budget cuts-again. I say with confidence that gangs and the general human dirt have a well developed radar letting them know when the police will arrive-and split.
Now gangs are all across the country & everyone's problem. Infrastructure needs that constant IV drip of cash to hold problems at bay. If that's not done, then we all know a higher price tag for the work is in future. There's so much to love about life in Long Beach and nearby cities, letting it go with large funding cuts is just sad. However, no matter what's going on, if the City has the rep of being safe we still have momentum and we can tackle a problem at a time-gangs are a police matter, obviously. We'll need police. They'll have to be even more proficient & effective to maintain a viable force. Same for Firefighters, etc.
Youth Programs is just a wastes of money. The city should create more jobs.
start the games at 3....end of story