The strong union candidate in the 9th District City Counci race, Steve Neal, is getting some extra help from one of the most powerful unions in the area, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.
The union has been making independent expenditures to support the candidacy of Neal, who works for the United Way and worked for a communications union for 12 years.
The campaign of one of Neal's opponents, Brad Shore, forwarded me four notifications that they had been provided by the Federation of Labor to inform them that independent expenditures of more than $250 had been spent on four days since Saturday in support of Neal. Independent expenditures are required to be reported to the city and to opposing candidates.
In 2006, it was union support that almost gave Neal a win over incumbent Councilman Val Lerch. Now, with Lerch running a write-in campaign for a third term and two other challengers in the mix as well, will the unions help Neal finally get his seat? We'll have to wait until April 13 to find out.
Paul Eakins reports on Long Beach City Hall, and local and regional
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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”,
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Karen Robes Meeks came to work for the Press-
Long Beach Voters!!!!
Look what the unions have done to the State of California, budget. Can you possibly believe that he can be objective in contracts as a representitive of the City, seeing that he would have to have a very long ladder to get out of the Union's pocket. This can only end badly citizens of Long Beach.
So why didn't anyone mention Basil Kimbrew, who has sent out three memos in support of Steve Neal. Basil Kimbrew the School Board member from Compton who was convicted of fraud and went to jail. The man who was forbidden to work on political campaigns and violated his probation and had to serve hard time. Does it mean anything to anyone that he is now working on Steve Neals campaign. Guess Not!