ST3419 by Signal Tribune

4 SIGNAL TRIBUNE

Thoughts from the Publisher

OPINION

OCTOBER 12, 2012

by Neena Strichart

Few celebrations are more fun than a birthday party for a friend or family member. Although gatherings for youngsters have a tendency to be more whimsical and noisy, and may or may not include a petting zoo, pony rides and/or a clown, get-togethers for the older generation can be enjoyable in an entirely different manner. Last Sunday I had the honor of attending a 95th birthday party for Nate Brightman hosted by his children, Lynne and Howard. For those who do not know Nate (only a handful of you, I’m sure), I will tell you a little about him. Nate, a Long Beach resident, is a volunteer extraordinaire. I first met him nearly 20 years ago when he came and gave a presentation about the Red Cross for my Susan B. Anthony, D.A.R. Chapter. His enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject was such that it kept all of us absolutely mesmerized. Little did I know at the time that I would continue to see Nate at event after event, build a relationship with him, and eventually even have a picture of the two of us framed and sitting on a shelf in my office. I wonder if he remembers the day that we met. Anyway, besides Red Cross, Nate is also extremely involved and has ties with the Associated Ratio Amateurs of Long Beach, the Queen Mary, a local computer club, and other interests that are too many to list. As far as the party goes, it was amazing. The event took place at the Petroleum Club with wallto-wall well-wishers, friends and family members kissing or shaking hands with him, posing for photos, and otherwise just fawning over the man of the hour– Nate Brightman. During the evening, Nate’s son and daughter took turns at the podium sharing stories about their father and telling the attendees about his myriad accomplishments and about Nate’s recent decision to learn Hebrew. Linda Temkin-Waltzman, Nate’s Hebrew teacher, spoke of “the sunshine” he has brought into her life and how much she enjoys teaching the written and spoken language to such an eager and apt pupil. During the “we love Nate” speeches portion of the evening, I had a chance to say a few words. I was tickled pink to get up in front of such a loving crowd and make the announcement that we at the Signal Tribune have designated Nate Brightman to be the first person chosen to be part of our new monthly feature called “Living Legends, Our Unsung Heroes.” Well, as I shared this news, you would have thought I announced Nate as the latest Nobel Prize winner! The crowd hooted and hollered, clapped, whistled and stomped their feet. From their reaction, I think we made a good choice in Nate– he truly is a living legend. Keep your eyes peeled for the October 26 issue– featuring dear Nate.

LETTERS

Assessing assessments

In last week’s Letter to the Editor [“The debate continues...,” Oct. 5, 2012], Ms. Lorraine Gilbert asserted that the “Taxpayers Right to Know and Vote applies to all city assessments... and the petition is inconsistent with state law.” As a former member of the [Signal Hill] City Council, I was a party to the negotiations for the California Crown (Kaufman and Broad) Assessment District. This is how it works. City staff gets an annual estimate for landscape services and tells the homeowners what their share of cost will be. The City bases its charges on the “cost” it pays to provide the service. That is the sum total activity of the Assessment District. Just a few months ago, City staff stated that the Homeowners Association in California Crown is far from active in management, notwithstanding the fact that a council member lives in the project. To the point of Ms. Gilbert’s letter: First, the Taxpayer’s Right to Know and Vote citizens’ initiative is consistent with existing State law. This is the language in the current City Charter: “The City is specifically authorized to regulate municipal finance and adopt ordinances, resolutions and orders within the municipal affairs of the City, and to void enactments of the state of California contrary thereto, except as otherwise provided by the State Constitution. The current City Charter voids enactments of the State of California. That means the City is not bound to follow State law. The Taxpayer’s Right to Know and Vote Amendment modifies the language in the Charter to make the City Charter comply with State law. Second, Proposition 218 exempts from taxpayer vote those assessment districts formed prior to 1997 and those formed “at the request of the property owners.” Ms. Gilbert stated in her Letter to the Editor that California Crown was formed in 1992, so her district is exempt from voter approval. Third, Proposition 218 also governs increases to assessments. So long as the City does not charge more than the actual cost of service, under Proposition 218, no voter approval is required. Fourth, The Taxpayer’s Right to Know and Vote applies to new taxes, new property fees, new assessments and new bond issues. The Taxpayer’s Right to Know and Vote is “forward-looking.” It applies to future revenue-raising measures the City may wish to adopt and pass on to taxpayers. When the Council proposes a new tax, fee or assessment, the Charter amendment will require that the ballot going to all Signal Hill voters show: how much the new tax will be, who will pay it, how long they will pay the tax, and what the money will be used for. Voters can decide if the Council’s proposed tax increase is a priority item they wish to fund. The Taxpayer’s Right to Know and Vote lets the taxpayer establish their community priorities....“community first.”

TH E

Neena Strichart/Signal Tribune

Nate Brightman celebrating with his children Lynne and Howard...note the TWO cakes in the foreground!

ED ITO R

Passing of a trailblazer

I am disheartened at the news of the passing of Hon. Mervyn Dymally this weekend in Los Angeles at the age of 86. Merv was a pioneer whose life has been dedicated to excellence in public service, truly ahead of his time. I first met him in 1978 as a high-school senior when he was lieuenant governor and witnessed his impact on the lives of countless individuals. Honorable Mervyn Dymally represented my area as the first foreign-born black California Assemblymember in 1962. He then went on to become the first black state senator and lieutenant governor in California. Later in his illustrious career, he went on and represented Compton and surrounding areas in the US House of Representatives from 1981 to 1993. He was a trailblazer known as the “godfather” of African-American politics in Southern California. Dymally opened the doors for African-Americans in California politics and strongly believed in education and helping those that came along after him. Although no one can replace Mr. Dymally, together we can all strive to continue his model of leadership and dedication to the public. I would like to extend by deepest prayers and thoughts to the Dymally family. Steven Neal Long Beach Councilmember 9th District

Who’s on ‘First?’

The Signal Hill [Community] First folks contend that party politics is not driving their proposed ballot initiative which would require a two-thirds vote for all city fees, assessments and taxes [Letters to the Editor, Sept. 14, 2012]. I only wish this were the case. It seems to me that Signal Hill [Community] First has taken a page from the Tea Party’s tactics in attempting to allow a vocal minority to hold the majority hostage. I’m not willing to participate in their public policy experiment, especially when it impacts the level of services I enjoy as a Signal Hill resident. To me, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. I wonder if the Signal Hill [Community] First folks will submit their proposed “Right to Know and Vote” initiative to a two-thirds vote for passage should it qualify for the March ballot. In fairness, I hope they will since it is the two-thirds vote they seek. After all, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Jeffrey Adler Signal Hill

Carol Churchill Signal Hill

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

Stephen M. Strichart

Neena R. Strichart

Cory Bilicko

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/WEBSITE MANAGER

Barbie Ellisen Jane Fallon Stephanie Raygoza Sean Belk

COLUMNISTS

STAFF WRITERS

CJ Dablo

Jennifer E. Beaver Carol Berg Sloan, RD

DESIGN EDITOR

Leighanna Nierle

Nick Diamantides

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Matt Sun

CULTURE WRITERS

Tanya Paz

Daniel Adams Vicki Paris Goodman Gregory Spooner EDITORIAL INTERN

Ariana Gastelum

DESIGN INTERN

Kaelyn Bruno

The Signal Tribune welcomes letters to the editor, which should be signed, dated and include a phone number to verify authenticity. Letters are due by noon on the Tuesday before desired publication date. The Signal Tribune reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, language and space requirements. The Signal Tribune does not print letters that refer substantially to articles in other publications and might not print those that have recently been printed in other publications or otherwise presented in a public forum. Letters to the editor and commentaries are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Signal Tribune or its staff. Although the editorial staff will attempt to verify and/or correct information when possible, letters to the editor and commentaries are opinions, and readers should not assume that they are statements of fact. Letter-writers will be identified by their professional titles or affiliations when, and only when, the editorial staff deems it relevant and/or to provide context to the letter. The Signal Tribune is published each Friday with a circulation of 25,000. Yearly subscriptions are available for $45.

939 E. 27th St., Signal Hill, CA 90755 (562) 595-7900