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Always paying attention to the details, aren't you Dave?
Like staying solvent, for example.
Robert Garcia sounds like he would be a great addition to the Long Beach City Council. Hopefully he will move towards the middle, far away from Bonnie's far left liberal agenda. We need more elected officials who can compromise and work together on what's in the best interest of ALL Long Beach citizens, not social agendas or special interest groups.
Robert is a great guy and you're right, he does maintain a very solid haircut. He definitely has the politician look down, but as your article alludes to many of the residents in the area are hoping he doesn't act too much like a politician when he gets into office.
What's funny is the support that he receives from Suja but yet his quotes against the home run theory of retail for the downtown are an indirect shot at Suja. After all she's championing that approach to the dismay of almost all downtown residents. When it says that he's pressuring city officials and states that the cities plan for downtown has totally failed, he's talking about the Lowenthal duo. After all, they've been in charge.
I would have loved to see you ask him about that one Dave, it was a softball pitch for sure. Btw, Delong isn't the 2nd district councilmember, don't scare me like that.
Robert, do us all a favor and don't take any money from the lobbyists and special interest groups. Don't owe them shit. Collect from the residents, we've got your back. Do it Obama style. After all i assume your campaign will be about change and talking more about how the cities plan for downtown has failed = your friends the Lowenthals = the Barack vs McCain/Bush approach. Who else could he be talking about. Believe me, for those of us living down here we would love to see some "change".
We've got your back Robert.
The string of testimonials that came before my comment look distinctly pre-packaged. I'm reminded of short phrases plucked out of movie reviews that can get quoted in the advertisement. But they tell us -- seemingly purposely -- nothing about where he is on any meaningful spectrum of opinion. Who IS he???
As student body president at Cal State Long Beach, Robert campaigned on very basic principles: building the university's image, improving school spirit and creating opportunities for students to become engaged in campus life. Students rallied around these ideas and, together, the student body experienced vast improvements.
The same is true now. Robert sees a problem and immediately talks about it, recruits partners to address it, and ultimately proposes visionary solutions to solve it. This is a testament to shared responsibility and solving community problems in the community, not in the vacuum of city hall.
And yes, he is personable with people from both sides of the political aisle. This isn't naivety, it's the kind of optimism and consensus-building needed to affect change.
DeLong and S. Lowenthal actually get positive things done, the other morons just pontificate on social issues.
The latest, it seems, is an attempt at piling Millions of easy dollars on his supporters and close friends, Dean and Berger with this Wetlands exchange scheme ? Wow does it appear that he squandering City assets while showering huge tax dollars on his intimates this time ??
Pat, you love him, so talk to him for us, remind him that we only need about 6,700 signatures to send him home?
Thanks DW and friends .
For those who see demons where ever there are business look at the empty storefronts Robert mentions in the interview and then tell me who is suppossed to advocate for the businesses that need to fill them? Downtown is in the condition it is in because there is no business momentum. Observer and District Support seem to think Robert having a positive relationship with the only organization in town that advocates for businesses, and therefore a healthy downtown, is a bad thing. Bonnie has the relationship with the Chamber you seem to prefer and how has that worked out for the area? Keep doing the "us" and "them" dialogue and stay where you are, get past it and you can move ahead.
Robert has the ability to sit down with anyone and have a conversation, listen, ask questions, state his opinions and learn. Is there something else you would like from your representative? There are plenty of issues we do not see eye-to-eye on but I have no hesitation supporting Robert for his run for the 2nd. I think the diverse spectrum of supporters that will come out behind him will show how he will operate when elected: listen to everyone then make the best decision you can. I look forward to attending Robert's victory party soon.
As a long time resident of Orange County, I only wished that we possessed a "prospective" city council candidate in my town that displayed the passion and forward thinking that Robert exhibits. He is a no-nonsense individual that Long Beach should be grateful to have as a member of its community!
In doing so he not only shows continued respect but also creates and then builds a definitive “buzz”…among fans and detractors alike. A “buzz” that seems essential to any successful political campaign. A “buzz” that translates very well into momentum and contributions and backing from supporters the likes of which (in this case) any prospective opponents will surely find it very difficult, if not impossible, to overcome.
Through Robert’s momentarily unguarded comment it’s clear that he already sees himself in a big padded seat behind the rail. And there’s nothing at all wrong with that…with envisioning oneself as having already achieved an important goal.
Assuming Robert announces for the 1st District and runs (both exceedingly safe assumptions, right Dave?). Assuming Robert is, indeed, elected (more probable than possible at this point, I think) I can only hope that Robert will also envision himself as someone who will help to restrain spending in a City whose newly “balanced” budget sank deeply into debt yet again almost before the ink had dried on the Council’s, Mayor’s and Manager’s signatures. I hope he will enlist able and intelligent staff members who will serve him as “courageous followers”…providing him with honest, direct and realistic input and advice, and who will not be afraid to disagree with him, even…no…especially when he is certain that he is right.
Most importantly, though, if Robert Garcia announces, and runs and is elected, I hope he remembers what so many elected officials tend to forget…that he is a representative of his electorate…that he is there to serve their interests and not they, his.
We’ll be watching…
Your blind dismissal of Robert, or anyone else, based on 2000 and 2004 shows the narrow judgement with which you hold people, hopefully as a "real" democrat you do not represent the majority of your party.
I mean, I'm glad Obama won, too, but there's no need to lose your self respect here.
In the progress of your long article, you made it abundantly clear that Robert Garcia:
1) plays games with the public,
2) plays games with reporters,
3) seems to enjoy it, and
4) has been doing this in Long Beach for longer than is honestly understandable.
Tell me how this is good in a public official.
Forget about Garcia being a transformative politician — he can't even be publicly honest about mundane political aspirations.
He's so bad that he explains his will-he-or-won't-he reticence by indicating he was just waiting for his patroness to finish sopping up some limelight, and he wants us to understand his politeness as an indication of —what exactly? Loyalty to political machinery? (I'm guessing your favorite uncompromising as the day is long young politico didn't think this one through.) How can the guy NOT be a hack?
Maybe in the future he'll learn to respect the public and reporters and that reporter's readers. If he sheds his reflexive public mendacity as he grows more comfortable losing the Republican-imposed self hatred, I'll admire the guy, too. But if coyness continues to be his style of dealing with troublesome questions in his life, I predict big problems for his admirers, his constituents and the city when the questions and issues get tougher.
For now, Robert Garcia is little more than the handsome face of future official City of Long Beach dishonesty practicing on you, Dave. You were a stop on the respectfully-take-your-turn-go-along-to-get-along Long Beach politihack training course.
While your story contains useful information, it is abundantly insufficient. It's not up to District Weekly standards — in fact, it reads more like some amateur puff-piece dreck I might see at the LB Post.
Which reminds me . . .
I can't believe that a reporter of your caliber wouldn't know about Garcia and LB Post, so why didn't you question him about running that pretend "news" site? This is a HUGE omission. I can't believe you don't have a useful opinion about LB Post, Dave. Do you think Garcia's actions running a Chamber of Commerce-cuddly website have helped or hurt Long Beach? His business activity at LB Post suggests how he might line up on the issues in Long Beach, doncha think? Why the silence here about this?
I hate to point out an obvious source for you on this one, Dave, but you should have asked your friend Bill Pearl at LBReport .com — you know, the local news source praised on the District Weekly site — what he thinks Randy Gordon (whoops, sorry, my mistake) what he thinks Robert Garcia and LB Post have done to promote quality local journalism and above-board governance in Long Beach.
Anyone who reads Pearl on a regular basis is used to having to swim through the occasional pools of venom he has for the LB Post. I'd be surprised if Pearl didn't have something usefully trenchant to say about LB Post, Robert Garcia and his business practices. Quoting Pearl might have given your story some perspective (News Flash! Not everyone loves Robert Garcia!) and some fascinating and pertinent details about the District Weekly's Solon of Long Beach-designate. Unless, to my surprise, Pearl thinks LB Post does good journalism of any variety — a surprise to me because Pearl features at the top of his home page a not-so-veiled statement that he thinks Garcia's brand of journalism is crap.
Why the Dave Wielenga I respect chose not to report on this essential Robert Garcia activity kinda creeps me out a little. It makes me think . . . no, no, it couldn't be . . . could it??? . . . could it mean that . . .
I mean, I know things at the District Weekly might seem a little iffy now, Dave, but don't tell me Robert Garcia offered you a job in his council office! Was this story your audition piece?
Come to think of it — you did post something complimentary about another R.G. recently — Randy Gordon. Does this mean the Chamber has an opening for one special and talented writer recovering from a failing Internet start-up?
Say it ain't so, Dave!
(But remember — you read it here first!)
A little common sense would go a long way in LB . . .
Not sure what the hostility on this board is about. Bitter Republicans maybe? Robert doesn't walk on water, and you can't please everyone, but he's a good guy in the most basic sense, and will do what's right for this city.
I'm looking forward to another young face at city hall.
d
1) plays games with the public,
2) plays games with reporters,
3) seems to enjoy it, and
4) has been doing this in Long Beach for longer than is honestly understandable."
I did not say this is good in a public official. In fact, the story asks him, "Why the word games?" And it prints his answer for all to evaluate.
And from that exchange with Garcia, you reached this evaluation, writing: "Forget about Garcia being a transformative politician — he can't even be publicly honest about mundane political aspirations. He's so bad that he explains his will-he-or-won't-he reticence by indicating he was just waiting for his patroness to finish sopping up some limelight, and he wants us to understand his politeness as an indication of —what exactly? Loyalty to political machinery? (I'm guessing your favorite uncompromising as the day is long young politico didn't think this one through.) How can the guy NOT be a hack?"
So, if you got all that out of my story---which asked skeptical questions throughout, then printed Garcia's answers---I don't understand how it amounts to a piece of jouralism that supports Garcia.
That said, I do agree I should have included something about the LBPost; I asked him about it and we just ran out of space. I think I'll put it on line later.
But failing to mention LB Post and Robert Garcia's role in skewing political debate in Long Beach is puff-piece territory. As I said, this is a HUGE omission for a responsible profile of a rising young politico.
You quote no active critics of Robert Garcia. But they do exist. That also is puff-piece territory.
Look over your intro. If your point in the story is the same point I'm making, your intro is deeply conflicted, or just flabby, and the progress of your sources does nothing to support the claim you are making in the comment above. Again, (borderline) puff-piece territory.
You're one of a handful of people in Long Beach even attempting responsible political journalism, Dave. I have to call you on this or this town accelerates on its way to the Feast of the Insiders, paid for by every misled voter and unconnected business owner in town. I don't want that, and my sense of you is that you don't want that either.
If my comment is just a misunderstanding of your intentions, please be clearer in your writing. I'm a good reader.
Did DeLong have any role (other than moving the item at Council because it was a 3rd District business) in the Legend's loan? No. It sounds to me like you just don't like Gene Rotondo and/or Legends.
It is true that Suja Lowenthal and Gary DeLong appear to have the most common sense on the Council - no wonder they appear to be "joined at the hip". They are simply the most rationale, and the ones least interested in awarding any special interest groups.
Does our being human and, thus, fallible, disqualify us from supporting those who seek only the human and civil rights our U.S. Constitution gurantees to all?
If so, then NONE of us (including you, DWR) is qualified to seek either to further, or to inhibit, the various efforts in progress in our great nation related to social justice and equal rights.
Before one presumes to judge others it's always wise to take a good long gaze into the mirror.
Only those who so gaze...and see perfection...should proceed with their judgmental intent.
I find interesting too your sudden defense of one member of the Lowenthal clan after you've routinely railed against the Lowenthals liberal politics. What you are truly defending is Suja's and Robert Garcia's secret conservative agendas while they (and increasingly you Mr. B) are hiding behind fake liberal progressive facades.
I do not presume to know what Suja "cares only about". Nor, unless you are her priest or her therapist, should you or anyone else.
Of course everyone judges, DWR. I never said otherwise. I simply caution against judging others, including Suja...and I now add "especially on personal matters"...when we, ourselves, so often also fail in those areas.
But perhaps you have never done so. I suppose it's possible.
Did Suja abandon her marriage? I don't presume to know, and neither should you. Only the principals, and those they may have confided in, can possibly know all of the circumstances surrounding the ending of that particular relationship. More to the point, however, I don't believe it has anything whatsoever to do with Suja's support for those in our community who are seeking a return of their equal marriage rights.
I believe Suja is looking at this denial of equal marriage rights based *solely* upon sexual orientation and, like me and so many others, is seeing blatant discrimination couched in law. I believe this is commendable and I support her in that position.
Even though I disagree with much of her politics, I fully agree with Suja on this, and thus I "defend" her in her attempted defense of others.
If there are any "secret conservative agendas" involved, I have seen no evidence of them. Frankly that comment sounds a little too "vast right-wing conspiracy-like" for my tastes…but to each his own. Just because one may be paranoid, doesn't mean everyone isn't out to get them, right DWR?
I have made it very clear, both here and elsewhere, what my basis for voting against Prop 8 was and why I feel it's passage was, and remains, patently counter to the U.S. Constitution's equal protection and religious clauses.
Frankly I'm not concerned with how or why Suja's marriage failed. I consider it to be a personal matter between the principals that the rest of us should keep our hyperactively prying noses well and truly out of. Many (yourself included DWR) seem overly-titillated by the many and varied episodes of the soap opera that the City of Long Beach can sometimes become.
I'm not among them.
If there's an allegation of misconduct where Suja's concerned, then it should be fully investigated and, if proven true, reasonable consequences should be swiftly visited upon any found to be complicit.
But that's another story...and another topic...entirely.
That's what my stance boils down to Mr. B. It is immaterial what debatable issues are involved.
But like it or don't, your stance in this case (as well as the issues upon which you are basing it) is, indeed, debatable and for this reason I have made an effort to do so.
Thanks for playing along! See you on the next topic!
Your welcome for the playtime.
My gay neighbor friend, plus one other gay acquaintance agree and refuse to join you in your pity parties. They believe your loud public protests against a fair election result hurt more than help your cause.
I do think it is likely that Rotondo currently "supports" DeLong, after all he is a "pro-business" elected official. But so what? I'm sure most business people support him, and so do most 3rd District residents.
“Whenever a vacancy in the City Council shall occur, such vacancy shall be filled at a special election to be called for that purpose. A vacancy shall be deemed to have occurred upon the date of the adoption by the City Council of a resolution finding and determining that such vacancy has occurred.
“The election to fill a vacancy shall be held in the district from which the City Council member is to be elected, and shall be called within sixty (60) days after the declaration of such vacancy by the City Council.
“Said election shall be held within one hundred twenty (120) days after the declaration of such vacancy, unless the same is declared within one hundred twenty (120) days of a primary nominating election provided for in this Charter, in which event such vacancy may be filled by the City Council by appointment.
“Such special election shall be held within such district in the manner to be provided by the City Council by resolution.
”To be eligible to be appointed or elected to fill a vacancy in the City Council, a person must have been a legally registered voter and resident in the district where the vacancy occurs for at least thirty (30) days immediately preceding the date of appointment or the first day upon which candidates are permitted to file nominating petitions for the office with the City Clerk.
”No person appointed as a successor to serve during the remainder of a Councilmanic term in which a vacancy occurs shall be designated on any ballot or voter pamphlet as an incumbent, a member of the City Council, or other designation indicating incumbency, for purposes of the next primary and general elections for members of the City Council.”
(Source: LB City Charter – Sec. 204, Vacancies in City Council)
Let's see, in one brief sentence you covered Robert's: race/color/ethnicity/national origin...sexual orientation...and you tried for age too (although so far it's only unlawful to discriminate according to age against those *over* 40) and then presume to fault him for each.
Gee, Justin, the only one's you missed were his religion and his sex...but I'm sure those were just simple oversights on your part, and not omitted through any conscious effort (what little passes for actual consciousness in that cesspool of intolerance you call a brain, that is).
And of course Robert had a lot of input concerning, and control over, where he was born, to whom and under what circumstances, right?
Yes, I can certainly see why we should all pay very close attention your oh-so-insightful analysis of Robert's qualifications.
So much for being more concerned about the content of a person's character, ay?
Carrying on with the crazy idea that people hold political views based on their background, though the journalist apparently avoided the question, I'm betting Robert may have some wild idea's about illegal immigrants. Somebody crazy might even conclude that he may act on those beliefs, based on his background, when making decisions on the City Council!
I know, I know. It's against the law to think such things, but some people are rebels when thinking things to themselves, and have not a care for your esteemed thought police, even though we know they're everywhere.
As far as his age... yeah! Let's get this thirty year old into the middle of city planning in general, and business building on Pine in particular! At thirty years of age, he's had plenty of time to develop a realistic overview of what makes a city, with some particular problems, go in to prosper! No "learning on the job" for Robert!
Anyway, you should send him an outraged, yet smarmy email regarding your "nature vs nurture" views, why one trumps the other at different times according to your good judgement, and the best way for him to conform to them, as well as your "brain laws" regarding how people are supposed to sum up their world.
Your subjective views on human behavior seem very important to you, John B., so they must be very important to everyone.
Delaying that email would not only be cheating Robert as a person, I suspect you might be committing some kind of thought tort.
I will say you seem to be stumbling all over yourself trying to justify, explain or rationalize the various hateful and presumptuous comments you made concerning Robert Garcia. It’s unfortunate that you feel the way that you do because it’s quite possible that you are permitting your clear prejudice where he is concerned to blind you to someone you might otherwise find to be worthy of your acceptance and support. I can’t say this for certain because I don’t know him myself, other than by reputation. We’ve been in the same rooms at various events a few times but I’ve never had the pleasure of making his acquaintance.
But I don’t have to know him to find him worthy, at the very least, of fair consideration. Just being a law abiding human being who appears to have accomplished much in his relatively young life makes Robert worthy of a fair hearing on the issues that concern me.
You presume to make a lot of assumptions about Robert and where he may or may not stand on many issues. You make these assumptions based on the very little you appear to know about him. One can only hope that you vote far more responsibly than this and with far more actual facts at hand whenever you enter a polling place.
You seem to feel that a 30 year old is somehow too young to think critically, to understand fully or to work with others cooperatively toward a common goal. That you believe this is most unfortunate for there are many talented people, Robert’s age and, in some cases, younger still, that have far more going for them and have contributed far more to improving their communities than many twice their age.
You seem to discount and dismiss people far too readily, Justin, and I submit that you do so to your ultimate detriment. You might consider offering people a little more basic respect and a little less derision.
Just a suggestion.
I intend to work on his campaign and walk the precincts with him.
Thanks for the great and honest press you provide for the people of Long Beach.
What does he bring to the table? What can he do to drastically improve the current conditions that exist in his district? I agree with his comments, when it pertains to The Pike and the other retail disasters of the downtown area. However, what can he do about it?
Second, it should be considered disturbing, that noted Long Beach lobbyists are supposedly lining up campaign contributions for Robert. I believe, this insinuates Mr. Garcia will be bought and paid for, by the same special interests that have gotten Long Beach into its current mess.
Finally, I'm not saying Robert Garcia wouldn't be a solid councilmember for the first district. But, if he continues on the same path of so many previously elected Long Beach officials, his impact would be minimal. After all, what have the decades of previous Long Beach politicians done for the city?
I submit we need to be thinking more in terms of "Liberal" and "Conservative". I submit that we need to evaluate and consider past performance as regards to our City and State legislatures.
I mean, really, Long Beach and, in fact, California, have been subjected to tax-and-spend, government-must-be-all-things-to-all-people liberalism for decades now and we are at once deeper in debt and no further along in resolving some of the basic public policy issues facing us than we were when they seized and retained control of each.
Talk about “change”…
How about we try to live within our fiscal means for a change? How about we build the cost of maintaining our infrastructure into the cost of developing it and then budget accordingly thereafter for a change? How about we stop pouring additional public funds into failing municipal projects for a change?
How about we develop policies that reward incentive and discourage misfeasance for a change?
How about we set some standards for our elected and appointed representatives and then hold them to those standards for a change, applying not just accountability but realistic consequences when they fail to represent us properly?
How about we strive for excellence in our schools rather than settling for “adequacy” and “minimum standards” for a change and then how about we hold those we elect and appoint to achieve that standard fully accountable, for a change, when they fail?
How about we accept that a willingness and desire to help our fellow man should be a conscious and voluntary choice, rather than a government mandate and then allow people to keep more of the money they earn, for a change, so they can do more of that?
In short, how about we try a little conservatism…for a change?
None the less, I find myself shocked that such a seemingly innocent article fostered such discussion. I've noticed Mr. Garcia lunching at Smooth's before, but I never realized he was such a controversial guy. I can't wait to introduce myself.
ut we.have great Op. To make long beach a place to visit