Bits 'n' Pieces
Unlawful Pearce PAC Expenditure’s Alleged
Grassroots for District 2 Accountability (GD2A) has filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission alleging that the Women of Long Beach PAC has ignored campaign finance laws in the races for District 2, District 6, and District 8 City Council:
This PAC lists the following close associates of Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce as its “board of directors” on its web site, womenoflongbeach.org: Nubia Flores Cedeño, Ennette Morton and Naida Tushnet. It was created with a submission to the California Secretary of State on March 12, 2020 and its first seed money apparently came from a transfer of the remaining funds left in Pearce’s anti-recall committee on April 7.
Women of Long Beach was also created with Pearce’s longtime treasurer, who may not be aware of the committee’s subsequent activities requiring the filing of disclosure forms. Those disclosures forms, FPPC Forms 460, 496, and 497, are required to let the public know where the PAC’s money is coming from and how it’s being spent. The PAC has failed to file any required disclosure forms with the Long Beach City Clerk and is therefore in violation of the law, according to the grassroots organization.
“Furthermore, this PAC has been purchasing mass communications on Facebook, on PressTelegram.com and by blast text message to distribute scurrilous, false messages about Robert Fox, Al Austin, and possibly Dee Andrews,” according to a GD2A news release.
“We believe strongly that Pearce and her outlaw independent expenditure PAC should be held accountable for their breach of faith with the voters of Long Beach. Our complaint alleges failure to file “semi-annual” and “pre-election” forms 460, as well as Form 496s (24-Hour Independent Expenditure Report) and Form 497s (24-Hour Contribution Report),” according to the release.
The committee came into existence in March 2020, has been fundraising since at least August 2020, and has documented advertising related to Long Beach City Council races since at least Oct. 15, 2020. Advertisements have included a banner ad on the web site of the main city newspaper, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, blast text messages, and Facebook ads.
“Circumstantial evidence including the individuals shown on the “board of directors” on the Women of Long Beach website, who are Pearce’s close associates, as well as the transfer of funds shown on the termination form 460 for her anti-recall PAC (attached to the submitted complaint), demonstrate that Women of Long Beach was orchestrated by outgoing Long Beach councilwoman Jeannine Pearce. Also, Women of Long Beach has as its listed treasurer, Jeannine Pearce’s treasurer,” the release stated.
Hospitals Provide Over $260M in Assistance
Serving the community is one of our highest priorities. Dignity Health Southern California’s six hospitals annually report on community health programs, including the health needs being addressed, programs and measurable objectives, and the economic value of our community benefit across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
Our comprehensive approach to improve community health includes financial assistance for those unable to afford medically necessary care, a range of prevention and health improvement programs conducted by the hospital with community partners, and investing in efforts that address social determinants of health in the communities surrounding our hospitals – California Hospital Medical Center, Community Hospital of San Bernardino, Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, Northridge Hospital Medical Center, St. Bernardine Medical Center and St. Mary Medical Center.
In addition to the community health improvement services and other community benefit programs Dignity Health Southern California provides, we also offer financial assistance for medically necessary hospital services to patients who meet certain criteria. More information about Dignity Health’s Financial Assistance Policy, including who is eligible to receive assistance, can be found online on the Dignity Health Southern California website.
In fiscal year 2020, our six Southern California hospitals provided $260,538,578 in patient financial assistance, unreimbursed costs of Medicaid, community health improvement services and other community benefits.
Gulfstream Space for Lease
In response to the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation’s (Gulfstream) recent announcement that it will draw down operations in Long Beach over the next six months, Long Beach Airport (LGB) will be actively seeking interest for this 22 acres of prime real estate located on LGB property.
Gulfstream currently leases approximately 455,000 square feet of facility space from LGB, of which nearly 250,000 square feet is hangar space, with major facilities on Spring Street and Donald Douglas Drive. Although the aerospace corporation announced a phased closure over the next six months, fully vacating all of the properties may require an extended period of time. Gulfstream is under lease until 2024, though portions of their site may be made available earlier.
“We are collaborating with the Long Beach Economic Development Department to attract interest from businesses that will further strengthen the Long Beach economy and our city’s history as a hub for aviation, innovation and technology,” said Long Beach Airport Director Cynthia Guidry. “This is a unique opportunity for a large area of land that will complement ongoing developments within the LGB Aviation Complex.”
Airport officials are working with Gulfstream to develop an exit plan and, concurrently, will begin preparing a request for proposals (RFP) for aviation-related uses. The RFP will solicit interest for leasing and development of the various spaces and is expected to be released in early 2021. Gulfstream was the successful proposer in response to a 2018 RFP to develop and lease an additional 20 acres on the west side of the airport’s property, but paused those efforts while reassessing their business strategy. The site is currently occupied under short-term agreements, and includes six acres of airfield space, ideal for various aviation needs. This area will also become available in a future request for qualifications and proposals.
As manufacturing jobs have slowly transitioned away from Southern California over the years, Long Beach has experienced a boom in satellite and rocket businesses emerging around LGB. Virgin Orbit, which provides launch services for small satellites, established its headquarters on the north side of the Airport in 2015. It was followed by a new headquarters for SpinLaunch just a few blocks away in 2019 and then, a few months after that, Rocket Lab moved their headquarters to the area.
LGB encompasses 1,166 acres and has three runways. It is unique among municipal airports for its diverse portfolio of Class A office buildings, hotels, retail, industrial facilities and a municipal golf course. A 2018 study found that the Long Beach Aviation Complex generates $8.6 billion annually and supports nearly 46,000 jobs. The complex consists of all business entities north of the 405 Freeway and south of Carson Street, bordered by Clark Avenue and Cherry Avenue.
Free Infant/Toddler Supplies
The City of Long Beach announced that it will be allocating nearly $250,000 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to provide infant care items to local families and childcare providers during the pandemic.
Working with local partners, infant care supplies, including diapers, formula, baby wipes and more will be available at weekly distributions to support families that have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. All Long Beach residents with young children, as well as Long Beach-based childcare and education providers, are eligible to receive supplies. Distributions for families will begin every Friday, starting Nov. 6 at the following sites, while supplies last:
Selected Long Beach Parks: Fridays, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Cesar E. Chavez Park (401 Golden Ave.)
- El Dorado Park West (2800 N. Studebaker Rd.)
- Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)
- Ernest McBride Park & Cal Rec Community Center (1550 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave.)
- Silverado Park (1545 W. 31st St.)
Selected Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) School Sites: Fridays, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Addams Elementary School (256 E. Plymouth St.)
- Nieto Herrera Elementary School (1620 Temple Ave.)
- McKinley Elementary School (6822 Paramount Blvd.)
- Roosevelt Elementary School (1574 Linden Ave.)
Note that distributions will not be held during holiday weeks.
Additional pick-up locations are expected to be added in the coming weeks. All locations will be operating in compliance with health and safety guidelines, and people are required to wear face coverings and maintain proper physical distancing. Long Beach licensed childcare and education providers interested in accessing supplies are encouraged to register to be scheduled for supply pick-ups.
This effort is facilitated in collaboration with the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services and the Long Beach Early Childhood Education Program, Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, The Nonprofit Partnership, The Mayor’s Fund for Education, LBUSD, the Salvation Army, and participating child care centers.
Updates on distributions, including any new distribution sites, will be available via the Mayor’s Fund for Education website. People may also find out more about supply distribution by calling the Long Beach Information Hotline at (562) 570-INFO (4636).
The city received $40 million in CARES Act funding to support relief and community recovery and resiliency, of which the Long Beach City Council allocated $1 million for early childhood support.
City Directors Retiring
The City of Long Beach announced the upcoming retirements of Human Resources (HR) Director Alejandrina (Alex) Basquez and Finance Director/CFO John Gross. Basquez has worked in Human Resources for more than 31 years, the last five of which were spent at the City of Long Beach. Gross, who has 47 years of experience in finance, joined the City of Long Beach in 2011.
Basquez led the HR team in its efforts to improve workforce diversity, negotiate labor contracts, improve labor relations, lower the trend of healthcare cost increases and implement a series of employee programs to attract and retain top talent. Prior to her work at the city, Basquez served as assistant general manager for the City of Los Angeles Personnel Department where she was responsible for citywide programs, including employee benefits, deferred compensation, workers’ compensation benefits, occupational safety and joint labor and management committees.
Basquez’ last day was Oct. 23. Fred Verdugo, current HR deputy director, will serve as acting director, while Dana Anderson, current labor relations manager, will serve as acting deputy director.
During his career at the city, Gross has overseen the financial aspects of building the new Long Beach Civic Center and consulted on the development of LB COAST (City Operations and Strategic Technologies), the city’s financial and human resource system.
He has been involved in every financial decision, led the city’s budgeting process to balance the budget every year and implemented numerous policies and strategies to ensure the financial health of the city. Gross also has overseen Measure A from a finance and budget standpoint, as well as the budget, accounting, business services, commercial services, fleet services and treasury bureaus.
Gross will continue in his position through the end of 2020.
Help Coast Tickets Survive
A local business that was forced to halt operations during the pandemic is receiving unexpected, yet welcome financial support from a group of nine fellow entrepreneurs who have created a crowdfunding campaign on its behalf.
In March, the owner of Coast Tickets expected to be celebrating her well-known ticket agency’s 20th anniversary. Instead, as COVID-19 cases spread throughout California, Felicia Behar had to close her office at 2750 E. Spring St. indefinitely to the public, when ticket brokers were deemed non-essential businesses by the city, county, and state governments.
Not that there were any tickets left to sell. Day by day, the news worsened: professional sports suspended; NCAA championships cancelled; the Long Beach Grand Prix, Orange County Fair, Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals, along with countless concert tours and live theater events, cancelled or postponed. The Los Angeles Lakers just won their 17th NBA championship sequestered in the Orlando, Florida, “Bubble” without fans present, and both L.A. NFL teams are now playing home games at the newly built, yet empty SoFi Stadium.
Last week, following a truncated MLB season, the Los Angeles Dodgers vied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the World Series title at a neutral, sanitized ballpark in Texas with severely limited attendance. Even the Summer Olympics in Tokyo have been postponed to 2021, and seasonal traditions like the Rockettes holiday show in New York, and the New Year’s Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, will not take place.
In normal years, these post-season sports events would be a huge boost for Coast Tickets’ revenues. But in 2020, the financial hit to Behar’s livelihood has been incalculable.
So far, however, Coast Tickets has received very few emergency funds. That’s why a group of Long Beach and Signal Hill colleagues have stepped in to support the struggling agency with a crowdfunding campaign through the GoFundMe platform. Launched on Sept. 25, the fundraiser – entitled “Help Coast Tickets Stay Open During COVID-19” – has raised nearly 25% toward its $10,000 goal, to help cover overhead and contract expenses for the ticket agency’s operations. On October 23, the campaign received a $500 Small Business Relief matching grant from GoFundMe and its co-sponsors: Yelp, Intuit QuickBooks, GoDaddy, and Bill.com.
Anyone wishing to support this local business may donate at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-coast-tickets-stay-open-during-covid19.
Windes Best Place to Work
Windes, a leading California accounting and advisory firm started in Long Beach, has been named as one of the Best Places to Work in Orange County. This is the tenth consecutive year for Windes to be recognized in the annual program which is run by the Orange County Business Journal and Best Companies Group.
This survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best employers in Orange County, benefiting the county’s economy, workforce and businesses. The list is made up of 100 companies.
Companies from across the county entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work in Orange County. The first part consisted of evaluating each company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings. Best Companies Group managed the overall process in Orange County, analyzed the data, and determined the final rankings.
Windes was the only public accounting firm to make the list in the Midsize Companies category (50-249 employees).
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