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City Of Long Beach, Brought To You By Pepsi by Ryan ZumMallen | Archive | 08.18.10 |
+  10:15am | In an effort to increase revenue by attracting corporate sponsorships, the City of Long Beach will examine programs used by cities such as San Diego, Costa Mesa and San Francisco that could provide a boost to Long Beach's plagued general fund budget. The City Council voted unanimously (9-0) to move forward with having City Manager Pat West and his staff conduct a study and present a report on their findings sometime in the future. Gerrie Schipske, 5th District Councilmember and co-author of the item, pointed to the success of corporate sponsorships in San Diego that have resulted in deals with large companies to serve as the city's "official" product. For instance, a deal with Pepsi to become the official drink of the city netted around $1.5 million and a similar agreement with Verizon to become the official wireless partner of the city produced about $1.25 million. "Obviously as we go through each of our budget sessions and talk about many of the programs and activities that we'd like to continue in the City of Long Beach," Schipske said, "it's going to require that we find sources of revenue, and corporate sponsorship obviously has to be a very specific avenue that we take a look at." Schipske also pointed to a $30,000 deal in Costa Mesa to add sponsorships to a local skate park, and a program in Huntington Beach to place logos on lifeguard towers. But concerns were raised, because councilmembers are wary of entering into excessive or obtrusive deals that would degrade the city in the name of corporate sponsorships, and also because a similar effort was made in 2008 but did not have support from the City Council. "We paid $120,000 for a year, plus commissions, to hire the consultants [in 2008]," said Rae Gabelich, 8th District Councilmember. Back then, City Management presented the Council with a proposal that included Charter and Office Depot as interested sponsors, among others, but there was not enough Council support to move the deal forward. "What additional information are you hoping to gather that we didn't get in 2008?" Councilmember Patrick O'Donnell, another co-author of the item, said that he has spent time in both San Diego and San Francisco this summer and noticed a number of visible corporate sponsorships. "What we're asking for is more detail," he said. "My concern is I don't want to go labeling everything in the city," said Gabelich. "I'd rather have us adopt what kind of sponsorship package are we looking for, what are our limitations on signage, and how far are we willing to go compared to other cities before we actually go out looking for the individual or the company that's going to represent us." Several other councilmembers said they shared Gabelich's concern but agreed that the issue should be examined, perhaps because the dire situation of the city's long-term financial future is more apparent now than it was the first time this issue came up in 2008. Click here to read our policy on covering the Long Beach City Council.
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40 Comments so far.
The Commish Just an idea - how about managing the city without a deficit instead of selling out to corporations and adding more "special interests" lobbying for payback for their contributions. Brings images to mind of a futuristic city where eventaually citizens "must" drink a certain soda, buy a certain phone, car, toilet tissue. Sorry, having an Orwellian moment there. Michael Gordon Is the new cat licensing failing to generate enough revenue? How about enforcing and fining the thousands of code violations throughout the city? It's a win-win situation. The City deficit can be decreased/eliminated, and slumlords are held accountable for bringing down property values and the quality of life in Long Beach. The Verizon Queen Mary? No thanks. The Pepsi Convention Center? Uh, no. This is a supremely lame idea, Council. What's next? Resident I agree with the Commish, the last thing we need is an influx of cash that will hide the underlying problems with the city budget. I think city council and the city manager need to be doing the real work of writing solid a budget and making the hard decisions that they are elected/hired for and not waste what little money we have looking into this. KJ The question is: What efforts are being taken to ensure that we are not perpetually dependent on the sponsorship? Can we use the sponsorship as a path to self-sufficiency? If not, this seems like a short-sighted plan by creating our dependence on corporate sponsorship. Brand-O I hate Pepsi... I'm a Coca Cola guy myself.. lol whiny winey as usual, lots of complaints, ad hominems, etc, but no SUGGESTIONS. What do the people on this thread SUGGEST the Council and Mayor do to balance the budget? Please share with us which programs should be cut, and where you suggest new revenue come from. carno @KJ - the same steps they took to make sure that the schools wouldn't be dependent on the lottery for funding... --- Watch the movie "Idiocracy" to see an exaggerated but entertaining view of why this is a bad idea. --- One more point... if they do thsi deal and Pepsi wants something but the people who actually live here don't want it, who wins? Allen Curious to know who will be Director of Corporate Sponsorship and Chairman of that committee. I hope all this new revenue will cover the overhead. Robert Rizzo's looking for work. Capster @whiney winy - if you can't answer that question yourself, you are a major part of the problem! What in the most blatant SUGGESTION of "Manage our money better" and "Live within your budgets" didn't you understand. To the council at large, excuse my French but screw all of you! Quit selling off our city, and the few views we have left without frigging advertising or other signage on them. You're behaving like a bunch of whores - STOP IT! QUIT overspending, QUIT granting contracts, pensions and other juicy items that are ridiculously over priced! QUIT thinking that figuring out where to grab more money is more important than learning how to use what you've got properly! Capster What do the people on this thread SUGGEST the Council and Mayor do to balance the budget? Please share with us which programs should be cut, and where you suggest new revenue come from??? For starters, ANY program that was started without guaranteed funding from existing tax revenues or other in place funding is first to be cut. If it's really important enough, to enough of the citizenry, VOTE it back in along with the tax to cover it! Half the new projects and programs out there probably wouldn't exist if residents really knew there wasn't any money to support them. Is that harsh sounding? - Absolutely, but so is having governments and financial markets and infrastructure collapse because we didn't do our jobs right and can't sustain what we've tried to build! denise #1: Suggestion for WW. The same thing many of us have been suggesting for years - Queen Mary Casino. It's a no-brainer. #2: Frankly I'm surprised any reputable corporation would even want it's name associated with 'urban blight' Long Beach these days. Pepsi Pike? By all means, take it. Verizon Wireless Wal Mart Center? Go for it...Can't be any worse than what we have now. whiney winey As I suspected - no suggestions, just more vitriol aimed at the people who have to make the tough decisions. Capster - WHICH programs? Name *one*...PLEASE?!?! At least Denise makes a suggestion, even if it's kooky. More than I can say for anyone else on this thread. "fix it fix it!" you whine. "Okay, we'll try A,B,C" "No those are terrible ideas!!!" "Okay, what should we do?" "Fix it fix it!" "Okay we'll try D E F"..." no no! You suck! Fix it!" etc etc Jon Will this actually lead people drinking more of an unhealthy diabetic causing soft drink like Pepsi? If so, how much will that add in health care service costs? @whiny winey "How about enforcing and fining the thousands of code violations throughout the city?" there was a suggestion, and very good one think. How about imposing larger fines on buildings that are not up to code. Also heavier finds for litter bugs and anyone other nuisances that have a negative impact. Then actually enforce all these things. whiney winey It's not a real suggestion, because it implies that code violations are not already enforced. In fact, the city is very keen to collect those fines, but landlords frequently refuse to pay. And then your only option is to prosecute them, which: 1. Costs more than the fines you collect and 2. The former prosecutor was uninterested in doing. See, this is what happens when people who know very little and don't bother to do any research just start spouting off. You make suggestions that are totally uninformed, and therefore totally unhelpful. It's like you think the code enforcement officers just sit around eating donuts. In fact, they are already understaffed. Maybe we should hire more of the civil servants you all love to hate so much? Ryan P But I only drink COKE! Will I be fined if a city official sees me drinking a Coke intead of a Pepsi? seein the lite-- The piece says, "Schipske also pointed to a ... program in Huntington Beach to place logos on lifeguard towers." What I fear was left out was the fine print on those HB lifeguard towers (besides that the logo is of the HB city seal) where it tells out-of-town drowning victims there'll be a "life guard fee" impoosed if you need rescued, and additional fees charged if you're taken from the beach by ambulance. Too bad it'd be useless to try adding fees like that at LB's beaches. Keith A. I see that LBUSD has an Education Foundation that has sponsors. I remember the LBUSD Superintendent cut his salary 10%. Will this exclude competition with other sponsors? IE Coke being able to join to also give money, or how about Fed Ex and UPS; or Koger or Ralphs and Vons? whiney winey No jon, that’s not a real suggestion, because it’s based on an incorrect assumption â€' that the city chooses not to enforce code violations, and could just start doing so tomorrow and thereby increase revenue. In fact: 1. Code violations are strictly enforced, but landlords frequently refuse to pay and 2: That leaves the city prosecutor to follow up, which: A. costs more money than the violations bring in and B: Mr Reeves, who just left office only four weeks ago, refused to do. Also, you cant just add new fees. Most new fees require 2/3 voter approval, which I think would not be forthcoming. See, it’s never so simple as you (who do no research and ask no questions other than rhetorical ones) might think. You may have an idea, but since you don’t bother finding out about its practicability, it never makes it to the level of a real suggestion. What do you think city staff do all day? Eat donuts? You have ivy league educated people who care a great deal about the city trying day and night to find more money and cut expenses. Long Beach has slashed its budget every year, and runs with NO DEFICIT. But it’s not so easy. Everything you want to cut, some group gets upset. Every possible revenue source, some group gets upset. And so far, the two suggestions on here are nice ideas that don’t solve the problem. Not so easy. Brian OK, it is just me or what, but why does Long Beach alway continue to feel like the redheaded step child of beachfront cities. I did not even finish reading this article and to tell you the truth, it is not that I am even for against the proposed plan, but we always seem to be reaching. It's like we are never quite there, always wanting and trying to be something else that we are not. I love my city and will continue to be loyal, but I am becoming frustated with some issues. I do wish we were a bit more savvy in our approach to government, infrastructure and commerce. rick criger The city could save thousands by just electronically encoding the messages to the various departments. Hospitals and other businesses do it all the time. The savings in cost of paper would be sufficient to pay for the change. Also the amount of money spent on the third rate Long Beach Art Museum could be better used elsewhere. MOLA and the museum at CSU Long Beach are fine examples of museums. The Long Beach museum is just a drain on the treasury. whiney whine Thank you rick! Some real suggestions. Paperless city hall is a great idea! LBMOA sux! You're right! yippee! More like you. rick criger Why not just get rid of the programs that don't work or pay for themselves. The city has no business competing with the private sector in childcare. If people really need band concerts let them pay for it. The city needs to act like I do when I make out a budget. If I can't afford it, I can't buy it. The budget outlook for the city in the next five years is bleak at best so lets make the hard decisions now. One thing we don't need are city employees getting paid to water the grass outside of bldgs. on Pine St. getting high city wages or picking up trash in a small truck when these jobs could be outsourced for a lot less. Sam @ Whiney Winey - how pathetic - you are discounting the suggestions made here because they are difficult? The best solutions usually are. God, if you are representative of our city gov't made up of Ivy Leaguers, then maybe we need to clean house and hire some home-grown CSULB grads. Maybe we could save some money there. I am in agreement with most of the rest - dont' take the easy sell-out for corporate sponsorships. That will only cover up the problems short term. Roll-up your sleeves, get to work, and do what you are paid to do...find solutions. I own my own business that has experienced triple digit growth these past three years - yes, even in this economy. So stop your whining and get to work. KH City leadership is at an all time low: i.e. news conferance by Vice Mayor re:anti plastic bags with a plastic turtle. Maybe we can get Helen Grace candies to sponsor "Tortoise Days" in Long Beach, becasue that is about as fast as our council moves to solve budget problems Know The city already has/had a HUGE contract with Coca Cola. Dont know if its still in effect. Charlie Tuna I prefer The Real Thing - COKE :) Veggi Sorry, unhealthy, my thought is they are taking these sugar filled drinks out of the schools, then the city uses them for $$$$.....what message is this sending?? ForLB Perhaps we should get the City Pay site back, and we will definitely know what salaries need to be decreased or positions eliminated. That first preview had definitely been enlightening. Imagine the amount of salary and pension dollars that could be saved. MD I can't believe that because of the anti-tax whiners our whole society has to be dragged down into crass commercialism by people who won't pay for the society they live in. Jon Well said Sam. This person that goes by whiney winey is such a hypocrite. He/she complains about people complaining and demands suggestions meanwhile making none of her/his own. Every whiney winey comment on this page does nothing but complain about citizens raising questions and making suggestions that he/she does not like. He/she consistently asks for suggestions while making none of his/her own. One other thing, if you're going to claim something as a fact then please provide a simple link to at least one source where you got that information. CHARLIE to Veggi Oh Veggi, you just switch to Diet Coke and you'll think you died and went to Heaven! kevin kunkle This makes me sick!!! there are countless reasons to leave this city, but this has got to be the best one!! My mom was born here, I was born here,my two children were born here and this is the last straw!! We are leaving!! Im tired of corporate/government collution!! You people have gone way too far!! Pepsi is nasty, soda is nasty, everyone knows that All the Genetically Modified products and synthetic chemicals in soda cause cancer... " come to Long Beach, We're all fat dumb sellouts " you people suck, you ruined my city!!!! Resident Whiney winey, did you ever take a position on the corporate sponsorship just wondering; I just couldn't get through all the whining you were doing about all of the other posts. GhettoChild Ever since I've joined these discussions it always appears that at some point the issue gets lost in translation and most of us at times myself tend to just go back and forth trying to prove someone else wrong. Allow me to go off on a tangent on this discussion. Well here goes my 2 cents, I think it's awesome that LB has such passionate residents that pitch ideas or sometimes even frustration towards their governing powers in hopes of a better city to live in whether their ideas are realistic or feasible. At the same time for some who have worked in government know that all issues are not easily solved and go through tons of POLICY ANALYST to develop a plan which will always make a group of constituents unhappy. It's a sad fact of democracy but we are a large city and in reality government could never satisfy everyone at times even the majority. I guess what I'm saying is don't lose the passion and research you issues and use all that awesome energy to pitch it at the governing powers whenever you get a chance. At the same time be try to be optimistic and realistic just because it sounds like a good idea it may not be implemented or realistically work as a policy. Regardless, support those in positions that are as passionate about the city as much as you are and get involved and in the end we can hope the result is something popular with the masses. Finally, there are positions in government that many of you can run for when available, that's a great opportunity to learn how government really functions in your city and state and make a change if elected. cacshell Sponsorship is great $$$ but, not for Long Beach. It begins at the top with our leaders. Leaders need to do their job! That's why they were hired or VOTED.... keep your promises. Cut areas that have no improvement - cut the embilical cord from those permanent "suckers." Cap those city salaries.... no one is worth over $100,000 an year!! Do away with company cars. Follow-up on the violations and confiscate the assets of those who fail to pay. Good Good 2 cents GhettoChild. Thank you. And thanks to everyone who passionately gives their opinion. I only want to say that it's nice that such a big corporation is looking at the potential LB has, but hope they don't have too much involvement in our government and that this is only temporary. I really would hate to see that sponsorship of "Long Beach... brought to you by Pepsi" wino Sam and Jon: No I'm not dismissing suggestions because they are difficult; I'm dismissing them because they take no account of the difficulties. That is, these suggestions are made without any suggestion of how actually to implement them. It's like telling someone whose car is out of service "just drive your other car" without realizing they only have one and are broke! It's like telling a cancer patient "just get chemo" without knowing they already got it and it didnt work. You make suggestions, but you dont bother to research, so the suggestions are USELESS. I dont see that I'm under any obligation to offer suggestions;I'm responding to the incessant attacks on the public servants who actually DO have to do the research and have to come up with suggestions that are REALISTIC and FEASIBLE economically and politically, not just the FIRST THING THAT POPS IN THEIR HEAD, which seems to be the method of choice on this thread. Let me add, regarding Pepsi: Pepsi was given as an example in the council motion because that's what's happened in san deigo. But the idea isnt about soda - it's about revenue. And if you are all willing to turn down revenue, then please OFFER A *REALISTIC* idea about what to cut. Or else leave the work to the people who actually WORK on this budget, as opposed to just shooting of their mouths Jon Scott Make heavily populated neighborhoods close to downtown PERMIT PARKING. With street sweeping 4 days out of the week. No parking after 5pm, and during these events like Pride, Redbull Flugtag, etc., there is absolutely NO PARKING. Street sweeping is $47 now if the city put in PERMIT PARKING charged $17 a month w/ 8-24 units per building about 10 buildings on each side of the block that's a lot of money to be made, plus the ticketing and towing fees for anyone without a permit on top of that. Then tenants can park there and either way the city is making money off those spots. AnyRevenueisGood I think this is a great idea. Why not exploit public private partnerships. Unless you've been in a cave (or Orange County) revenues from taxes are declining. I'd rather "sell out" and be able to enjoy the Muni Band or take classes in a Park, than nothing at all. Very well done Schipske. Goodonya AnyRevenueisGood.... Right on the money!!! We need to increase revenue now... I'd gladly accept some ad clutter on municipal trash cans, or vehicles if it meant preservation of our "non-core" services. We don't need a study to do this, why not just have Council direct staff to put out RFPs or RFQs and get it done? Great idea!!!! Keep innovating.
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Ryan ZumMallen has served as the managing editor of the LBPOST.com since 2007. He graduated from CSULB with a degree in Print Journalism in 2008 and is a member of the 2009 class of Leadership Long Beach. You can find him on various basketball courts around the city.
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