Schipske Thanks Voters and Volunteers for Win

SCHIPSKE THANKS VOTERS AND VOLUNTEERS – PLEDGES TO WALK REMAINDER OF THE 5TH DISTRICT BEFORE JUNE RUN-OFF – CHALLENGES OPPONENT TO FIVE DEBATES BEFORE JUNE.

April 12, 2006 – 5th District candidate, Gerrie Schipske, today thanked the voters and her volunteers for giving her a resounding win yesterday in the primary election for Long Beach City Council. Schipske won 24.8% of the votes cast for candidates appearing on the ballot. Termed-out incumbent, Jackie Kell, received 25% , placing both Schipske and Kell in a run-off on June 6th.

“I want to thank the voters of the 5th District who took time out of their busy lives to vote in this city election,” said Schipske. “I am very appreciative to have received the votes of over 2000 and thank these voters for their confidence in my candidacy. To those who did not vote for me, I hope that in the next 6 weeks I can earn their support as I continue walking door-to-door with a goal of completing the entire 5th District by election day.”

Schipske began walking the 5th District last June and completed 75% of the District prior to the primary election.

“I also want to thank my volunteers who worked countless hours helping with mailers, walking, neighborhood meetings and phoning voters. These are the behind the scenes heroes and heroines who make a campaign and candidate successful.”

Schipske also gave kudos to the precinct workers who operated the voting polls and the Long Beach City Clerk, Larry Herrera who had overall responsibility for conducting the election.

“The precinct workers and the City Clerk need special recognition for their hard work and professionalism. The election process went smoothly thanks to their efforts.”

Concerned that the voters did not have many opportunities in the primary to hear the candidates for the 5th discuss the issues facing Long Beach, Gerrie Schipske called upon her opponent to meet and to debate five times before the June 6th election.

“ I challenge Jackie Kell to join me in five public debates between now and June 6th,” said Schipske. “Each of these debates should focus on one specific policy issue facing the 5th District and the City generally. I propose that the topics of the debates include: 1) Fiscal Accountability; 2) Public safety; 3) Infrastructure; 4) Environment and Parks; and 5) Citizen/Neighborhood Participation.”

Schipske also called upon the local news media to cover these debates and to allow both candidates to submit articles on each of these important issues so that the voters can be informed about the candidates’ positions.

“We owe it to the voters to engage in this type of discussion.”
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Schipske Walks In 50% of 5th District

SCHIPSKE WALKS IN 50% OF 5TH DISTRICT
Precinct Walks Continue Until Election

Two pair of shoes, six pair of socks, 22 ink pens, and several cases of bottled water later, 5th Council District candidate, Gerrie Schipske, today announced that she and her volunteers have walked in 50% of the 5th District precincts.

“I have been walking precincts since late June of last year and have talked to hundreds of voters about how I think we can make Long Beach better,” explained Schipske. “The response has been very positive. Voters are glad to see that a candidate will take enough time to knock on their door and many have given me an earful about what they see is needed to be done.”

Schipske notes that the most common complaint of voters is the damaged sidewalks and streets in front of their homes. “Homeowners are concerned about the liability of having a sidewalk in front of their home that is damaged. They are particularly concerned that when it rains or a neighbor washes a car, water is pooling – which is a perfect breeding place for mosquitoes.”

To date, Schipske and her volunteers have walked in 50% of the precincts in the 5th District and plan to continue walking until the April 11 election.

Schipske notes that walking door-to-door has other benefits as well. “I tell people that the only thing I plan on losing this election is more weight,” says Schipske, noting that she has already lost 16 pounds because of the walking.

Anyone wishing to join Gerrie Schipske in walking the 5th District, can contact her at: 562 201-1296. Walks are scheduled every Saturday from 11 am until 4 pm.

Kell Mailer Not Forthcoming

Because the Quality of Our Neighborhoods Should Matter


Voters in the 5th Council District today received a slick 12-page “Special Report” from termed out incumbent 5th District Councilmember, Jackie Kell, that failed to explain her actions on the serious problems facing Long Beach, says Gerrie Schipske.

“Jackie’s slick report glosses over the stark realties that since she has been on the city Council the city has incurred an enormous debt resulting in the failure to fully staff and fund the police department and the cutting of such city services as library hours and crossing guards and,” says Schipske, a candidate in the 5th Council election set for April 11, 2006.

“What she fails to tell voters is that the airport is set to increase the daily amount of commercial flights from 44 to 52 plus 25 commuter flights and that this will seriously impact the quality of life for those residents living near the landing and take off patterns and near the parking sites planned for the expanded terminal and that the city has no plans whatsoever to help sound proof those homes that will be impacted; that the pollution generated by the ships in the ports and the freeways are causing cancer and asthma in our city at alarming rates; that she supports a special tax to fund libraries because the city spends its money unwisely and can’t meet basic governmental programs such as libraries and fully funded police; that she authored an ordinance that would allow pet breeding in our neighborhoods that will significantly add to the problem of pet over population and add noise in our neighborhoods; and that the 5th District had only 17% of its damaged sidewalks repaired since 2000 while Disticts 1, 2 & 6 which have had 40-46% repaired. Her lack of candor is alarming.”

Schipske says that what is also missing in Kell’s “Special Report” is any mention that the voters of Long Beach have twice overwhelmingly approved term limits for council members and that Kell has chosen to disregard the voters by launching a write-in campaign.

“Jackie certainly wants to take credit for many things that were in the works before she arrived at City Council. Sadly, she takes no responsibility for the current state of affairs – especially the large deficit which she has approved each and every budget year since she was elected.”

LB Must Protect Homeowners Near Airport

52-25-65-60. Why These Numbers Are Important to Long Beach.


52-25-65-60. Quick picks for the lotto? No. although what Long Beach does about these numbers may have a significant impact on the financial future of this City.

These figures are contained in the recently released City of Long Beach’s Airport Proposed Terminal Area Improvement Project Draft Environmental Impact Report -- a long description for what is foreseen as the environmental impacts of expanding the outdated terminal at the City’s airport and the certainty that daily flights will be increased from 41 to 52 commercial plus 25 commuter flights even if the facilities go unchanged.

65 and 60 refer to the “community noise equivalent levels” caused by existing aviation noise and the potential for increased daily flights. Both 60 and 65 are considered to be significant levels of noise – so much so that the report recommends sound insulation for homes within the 65 CNEL contour and for schools within the 60 CNEL contour.

The report indicates there are a handful of homes within the 65 CNEL near Clark Avenue and the 405 Freeway. There are two schools in the 60 CNEL – south of the airport: Minnie Gant School on East Britton Drive and the Special Education Building located at 5250 Los Coyotes Diagonal. There are also hundreds of homes within the 60 CNEL contour – for which the report does not propose the city provide sound proofing or insulation to reduce interior noise levels to a livable 45 CNEL.

While State environmental standards hold that residential uses are considered “compatible with a noise level of 65 decibels” the courts have ruled that a citizen's personal observations about the significance of noise impacts on their community constituted substantial evidence that the impact may be significant and should be assessed in an EIR even though the noise levels did not exceed the general standards of 65 CNEL. Homeowners in the 60 and 65 CNEL contours will tell you that the constant barrage of commercial, small, cargo and military flights constitute a significant impact on their lives.

Long Beach homeowners living in the 60 CNEL contour should take note that while the draft EIR report does not propose providing sound proofing and insulation for your homes, the developers of new homes and condos in the Douglas Park project clearly understand that the impact of this level of noise can lead to lawsuits against the city and the airport because of the damage noise does to the value of the home, not to mention the health of its occupants.

Check out the Douglas Park Project website and you can read the statement for yourself: “Residents and businesses will be required to acknowledge their proximity to the airport. Property owners will sign an aviation easement that relinquishes the right to bring a cause of action against the city for airport noise.”

We know that Long Beach is struggling to build an economy that will decrease the staggering amount of poverty that exists in several areas of the city. Long Beach needs tourism, travel and trade. It is clear that each of these industries impact in both positive and negative ways. But the City Council should be very mindful not to sacrifice the quality of the neighborhoods and the lives of those who live nearest the airport. These are the very neighborhoods and residents that provide a solid property tax base upon which the city depends. Destroy these neighborhoods and you destroy the future of Long Beach.

It is well established in property law that when the government interferes with the rights of property owners to use and to enjoy their property, it is a “taking” for which the government must compensate the owner. Providing sound proofing and insulation for all Long Beach homes significantly impacted by the noise of the airport should be the minimal assistance Long Beach should give to these homeowners – but apparently is not even on the radar of the City Council.

Residents have until December 22, 2005 to respond to the draft EIR. Please join me in calling upon the City Council to implement a sound proofing and insulation noise mitigation program to help the homeowners of Long Beach who are impacted or will be impacted by the Long Beach Airport.
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Gerrie Schipske is a Registered Nurse Practitioner and an attorney representing the Teachers Association of Long Beach (TALB). She is a candidate for the 5th Council District.

Feed Back from Walking the 5th

Schipske Continues to Walk the 5th

One hour to one and one-half hours. That what it takes each day to walk a full city block in a precinct. People are nice. They are thoughtful and they appreciate a political candidate knocking on their doors. That's what I have been finding since the middle of summer. 5th District residents know there will be an election in April. They know that the incumbent is termed out -- and they support term limits. They are concerned about the libraries, their broken sidewalks, not enough police, crime in the downtown area, the increase rates of poverty in pockets of the city, the bad image Long Beach gets on the news media because of frequent shootings, the libraries, crossing guards, the libraries, not enough police, cuts to the fire department...it doesn't matter which part of the 5th I walk..the concerns are the same.

I am struck by the warmth and friendliness of the people I am meeting as I walk and how much they love Long Beach and want the best...the best in leadership and the best use of their taxes.

Am bound and determined to walk the entire 5th District by next June..

Schipske Calls On Council to Act Now Before Flu Hits City

Registered Nurse-Candidate Calls On Long Beach Council to Act
Now Before Flu Hits City
Says Flu Shot Clinics Should Not Be Stopped on November 17

November 16, 2005 -- Fifth District Council Candidate and Registered Nurse Practitioner, Gerrie Schipske, today called upon the Long Beach City Council to immediately direct the City’s Health Department to develop a detailed strategy on how the city will respond if the Asian bird flu hits California.

“Federal and international health officials are growing increasingly concerned that the Asian bird flu, called the H5N1 strain, may trigger an outbreak of a ‘super-flu’ that could hit California first, especially cities near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach,” notes Schipske, who served on the City’s Board of Health for 8 years. “Our local health department and our local medical community will be the first responders when this happens and we need to make certain that we have a strategy and plan in place for dealing with this potential disaster.”

Schipske suggests that the City Council call a public meeting to discuss how the public health department, local hospitals and doctors and the Red Cross can work together in the event of a massive infection. “It is extremely important that the Long Beach Unified School District which teaches more than 95,000 children also be included in this discussion and that the health department provide educational materials so that residents can learn the facts about the flu and flu vaccines.”

Schipske also urges the City not to stop its ‘flu shot clinics’ on November 17 which is the last day being scheduled for 2005. “Health officials know that while October or November is the best time to get vaccinated, getting vaccinated in December or even later can still be beneficial,” explains Schipske. “We need to make certain right now that our health department has access to adequate flu vaccine and that our most vulnerable – children, elderly and the chronically ill – receive flu shots.”

Duck'n Issues Isn't Leadership

Three Council Members Duck Vote..and the Rest of Agenda

What's a city council member to do when it doesn't want to be on the record on a conversial issue? Quack..Quack...He (s) and she ducks out of the City Council meeting. Well, that's what termed- out council members Frank Colonna and Jackie Kell did last nite along with Val Lerch..they ducked out of the council meeting before the vote came up on a proposal to state the Council's opposition to several propositions in the up-coming special election called by the Governor. Instead of staying and deliberating (that's a big word for doing their job) the issue and then voting against it, they walked away from that vote and the rest of the agenda. What courage. What leadership. What a crock. If they didn't want to vote for the agenda item, they should have stayed and said so, voted "no" then continued what they were elected to do -- attend city council meetings and vote on the issues brought before them. Thank God the voters of Long Beach wisely approved (and re-approved) term limits.