[00:01:42]
UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT I KEEP THE PUBLIC ABREAST IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT IS HAPPENING BEHIND THE DAAS.
AND I DID A CHECK IN FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JUST WALKING, I DID A CHECK IN A FEW MINUTES AGO, AND SO WE'RE WAITING ON ONE MORE COMMISSIONER SO THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE, UH, QUORUM.
AGAIN, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, UH, WITH THE PROCESS, IN ORDER FOR BUSINESS TO BE CONDUCTED, WE NEED TO ACHIEVE QUORUM, WHICH IS EIGHT COMMISSIONERS ON THIS, ON THIS COMMISSION.
SO WE DID A FOLLOW UP AND CHECK-IN, AND WE'RE, IT'S, UH, ABOUT 10 MORE MINUTES.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA HOPEFULLY START THIS, UH, SIX 30.
UM, SOMETIMES THINGS ARE BEYOND ANYONE'S CONTROL, SO WE'RE JUST WAITING ON ONE MORE AND THEN WE CAN START THE MEETING.
SO, APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, UM, BEING PATIENT, UH, WITH, WITH THE COMMISSION
[00:05:31]
MANAGER MAKES 300,000.THAT ONE, BUT I MEAN, LIKE, LIKE HER, THE ME
[00:13:55]
HI, TONY.UM, SO I WANNA WELCOME EVERYONE TO TONIGHT'S MEETING.
UM, FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ARE, ARE HERE SO WE CAN ACHIEVE QUORUM.
UM, I WILL SAVE MY MORE OFFICIAL COMMENTS FOR A LITTLE BIT.
THERE'S CERTAIN PROCESSES THAT WE NEED TO UNDERTAKE FIRST AND IN ORDER TO OFFICIALLY START THE MEETING.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND
[CALL TO ORDER]
CALL TO ORDER, UH, TONIGHT'S MEETING, UM, DECEMBER 6TH.AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE ALSO NEED TO DO ROLL CALL.
UH, SO IF CAN ASK THE CLERK, UH, TO READ ROLL CALL FOR
[ROLL CALL]
US.[00:15:01]
COMMISSIONER CAMACHO.COMMISSIONER COLE, COMMISSIONER LIZETTE FLORES.
COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ, PRESENT VICE CHAIR COVINGTON HERE.
[CHAIR REMARKS]
TIME AT THE MIC NOW IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME TO WELCOME EVERYONE IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY.I APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, UH, ON A NUMBER OF AGENDA ITEMS. MY HUNCH IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF, YOU'RE PROBABLY HERE FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UM, SO IN RESPONSE TO THAT, WHAT I'VE DONE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I'M VERY TRANSPARENT WITH, WITH, WITH THE PUBLIC.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES AND CONTEXT SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
UH, WE HAVE HAD FOR SOME TIME, TWO MONTHS, UH, UH, AGENDIZED OR TRY TO AGENDIZE, UH, A DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION ON YOUTH OF VIOLENCE IN THE CITY, WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
ITEM FOUR IS ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
UM, AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.
AND SINCE I'VE PUSHED THAT AGENDA ITEM TWICE ALREADY, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PRESENTATION ACTUALLY TAKES PLACE.
YOUTH VIOLENCE, I HOPE WE CAN ALL AGREE, IS A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
SO I'VE ASKED OUR PRESENTERS TO MODIFY ON THE SPOT THEIR PRESENTATIONS, RIGHT IN, IN, IN ACKNOWLEDGING THAT AGENDA ITEM FOUR WILL TAKE A LOT LONGER TO DISCUSS.
AND I THINK THAT IS A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THOSE AGENDA ITEMS. SO WE'RE GONNA STICK TO THE ORDER.
UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE STAFF FOR, UM, THE DISCUSSION ON, AND PRESENTATIONS ON YOUTH VIOLENCE TO, TO JUST MODIFY IN THE MOMENT.
SO, UH, SO THAT WE CAN ALSO HAVE A ROBUST DISCUSSION ON GENAI METAPHOR.
AND SO REALLY THANK YOU TO ALL STAFF WHO HAS WORKED FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS AND DOING THIS SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
SO, SO WITH, WITH THAT SAID, A COUPLE OTHER, UM, THINGS THAT I WANNA MENTION.
UM, WE HAVE AGREED UPON AS A COMMISSION, A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO DISCUSSION.
AND I'LL, I'LL HAVE, I HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THIS WHEN, WHEN I FRAME AGENDA ITEM FOUR.
BUT IN PARTICULAR, UM, SINCE WE ARE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ITEMS, YOUTH VIOLENCE, UM, AND THE LETTER FROM, UH, LAST, UH, MONTH, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LIVE ACKNOWLEDGE JUST CHERRY PICK A A FEW OF THESE HERE, YOU KNOW, BEING PRESENT, SHARING THE AIR, ACKNOWLEDGING THE INTERSECTIONS OF THESE VERY TOUGH DISCUSSIONS, EXPECTING AND ACCEPTING PERHAPS SOME NON CLOSURE AS WE NAVIGATE SOME VERY, UH, WEIGHTY, SIGNIFICANT AND IMPORTANT DISCUSSION MATTERS.
AND, AND THOSE ARE, BUT A FEW OF THE COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS THAT I UPLIFT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THERE MAY EVEN BE A SLIDE ON THIS.
IF THERE IS, I I WOULD APPRECIATE IT COMING UP.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT, UH, WE CAN JUST GO BY SOME OF THE CHERRY PICKED ITEMS FROM OUR BYLAWS THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, BECAUSE OF THE EMOTIONAL TOLL THAT TRAUMA HAS ON EVERYONE, ON EVERYONE, AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND UPLIFT THAT AS AN IMPORTANT, UM, TOPIC, UM, FOR, FOR THIS DISCUSSION, UM, THAT SOMETIMES IT TRIGGERS A RANGE OF THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS.
UM, IN ORDER FOR US TO DO OUR BEST JOB POSSIBLE TONIGHT IS WE ASK, UH, TO FOLLOW THE, THE PROCESS AND THE PROTOCOLS, AND I'LL SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT, UM, ONCE I FRAME AGENDA ITEM FOUR SO THAT WE CAN GET TO, UH, THE CRUX OF THE WORK AND OUTCOME OUT OF AGENDA ITEM FOUR.
AND, AND THIS IS A CITY THAT WE ALL LOVE AND APPRECIATE, AND IT'S DIVERSE IN ALL OF ITS INFINITE WAYS.
AND, UH, I HOPE THAT THE MESSAGE THAT I'VE SHARED RESONATES WITH EVERYONE AND ALSO RESONATES ACROSS THE CITY AND IN ALL SPACES.
WITH THAT SAID, UM, I'M GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE AGENDA.
SO I'M GONNA ASK, UM, THE CLERK TO GO AHEAD AND BRING US TO THE FIRST AGENDA.
ITEM ITEM NUMBER ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION
[1. 23-51401 Recommendation to approve minutes for the Equity and Human Relations Commission Meeting of Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TO APPROVE MINUTES FOR THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING OF ONE STATE NOVEMBER 1ST, 2023.COULD I HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE THAT FORWARD? UH, VICE CHAIR COVINGTON IS THE FIRST AND SECONDED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER BUTLER.
ANY DISCU, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THAT? IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER ONE IN PERSON, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW, OR DIAL STAR NINE IF CALLING IN, SEEING NONE FOR BOTH, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE.
[00:20:01]
DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, CAN WE MOVE TO THE VOTE? MOTION CARRIES.UM, AND CAN I HAVE THE CLERK, UH, USHER US ALONG WITH THE SECOND AGENDA ITEM? ITEM NUMBER
[2. 23-51402 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services regarding their Violence Prevention Programmatic efforts. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REGARDING THEIR, UH, VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM, PROGRAMMATIC EFFORTS.CAN I HAVE A COMMISSIONER? UM, UH, MOTION TO, UH, GET THIS PRESENTATION STARTED, UH, COMMISSIONER DR.
BATZ, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, WELCOME AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT AND, AND, UM, PRESENTING TO US A A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC, UH, IN THE CITY AND REALLY BEYOND.
IS THIS ON? CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY.
I'M WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
I'M THE HUMAN DIGNITY PROGRAM MANAGER AND CURRENTLY THE INTERIM VIOLENCE PREVENTION MANAGER.
UM, TODAY WE'RE GONNA DO A QUICK BRIEF PRESENTATION ON OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO, FIRST OF ALL, I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE THREE PILLARS OF THE HUMAN DIGNITY PROGRAM.
IT'S PRIMARILY HUMAN TRAFFICKING DIVERSION, WHERE WE ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, WHETHER IT'S CASE MANAGEMENT, TRAUMA INFORMED MENTAL HEALTH, TATTOO REMOVAL, EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING.
UH, THE OTHER PILLAR IS HATE CRIME RESPONSE.
WHEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEEMS A CRIME, A HATE CRIME, OFFICIALLY, THEY INFORM ME OF THE VICTIM'S INFORMATION.
SO I REACH OUT TO THE VICTIM TO SEE HOW WE COULD SUPPORT A VICTIM OF A HATE CRIME AND REENTRY.
WE CURRENTLY ARE FOCUSING ON REENTRY, CREATING AND HOW US IN SUSTAINING SERVICES FOR OUR REENTRY COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE AN ADVISORY COUNCIL MADE UP OF ABOUT 15 INDIVIDUALS, THOSE OF WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND OUR EDUCATION SYSTEMS. THOSE ARE THE THREE PILLARS OF THE HUMAN DIGNITY PROGRAM.
AND, UM, WELL, I HAVE TWO OF OUR COLLEAGUES WHO WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT TWO OTHER INITIATIVES, LONG BEACH ADVANCING PIECE, AND THE LONG BEACH ACTIVATING SAFE COMMUNITIES.
UH, AS FAR AS THE HUMAN DIGNITY, I'M SORRY, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, I BROUGHT YOU EACH A BAG FOR YOU TO HAVE.
IF I, IF YOU NEED MORE, LET ME KNOW.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, UH, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS SPACE FOR US TO TALK ABOUT THE CITY'S VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UH, INITIATIVE, UH, HERE CALLED LONG BEACH ADVANCING PEACE.
UH, LONG BEACH ADVANCING PEACE IS AN INITIATIVE THAT WAS DEVELOPED AS A CITYWIDE RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE.
UH, AND IT TAKES A SYSTEMS PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH IN ORDER TO GET, GET, UH, VIOLENCE PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS IN AREAS THAT EXPERIENCE THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF VIOLENCE, COMMUNITY VIOLENCE, GUN VIOLENCE, ET CETERA.
UH, THE LONG BEACH ADVANCING HAS, UH, ADVANCING PEACE INITIATIVE HAS FOUR MAJOR GOALS, ONE OF WHICH IS TO INCREASE SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS.
SECOND, BEING, ADVANCING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, EXPERIENCING THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF VIOLENCE, ESTABLISHING SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, AND INCORPORATING TRAUMA INFORMED SYSTEMS IN EVERY FACET OF OUR WORK.
THE LONG BEACH ADVANCING PEACE, UH, GOVERNING STRUCTURE INCLUDES A 17 MEMBER, UH, VI, UH, GROUP OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION EXPERTS WITH A WIDE ARRAY OF EXPERIENCES RANGING FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, UH, SENIOR SERVICES, WORKING WITH VIOLENCE PREVENTION ORGANIZATIONS SPECIFICALLY, UM, THAT SHAPE AND GUIDE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS.
THE CITY HAS, UH, THROUGH A LARGER NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT FOCUS ON IMPLEMENTING THESE, UH, FACETS OF WORK, KNOWN AS THE COLLABORATIVE NETWORK THROUGH THE LONG BEACH ADVANCING PEACE, UM, INITIATIVE.
AND FINALLY, HOW THAT GETS PLACED IS THAT, UH, WE DO NEIGHBORHOOD BASED SERVICES TO IMPLEMENT CERTAIN FACETS OF THESE, UH, PROGRAMS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE HERE.
UH, WE HAVE OUR STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS REFLECT THE AREAS WHERE THE CONCENTRATION OF VIOLENCE IS HAPPENING, UH, AS WELL AS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT CAN BRING VERY VALUABLE FACETS, UH, TO THIS WORK.
UM, WORKING WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE, WE'VE ENGAGED IN, UH, FOUR MAJOR, UH, PILLARS OF THIS, UH, ADVANCING PEACE WORK, ONE OF WHICH IS TO ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY ACTIVATIONS, WHICH I'LL, I'LL DESCRIBE BRIEFLY.
UH, SAFE PASSAGE IMPLEMENTATION, VIOLENCE PREVENTION WORKSHOPS AND SYMPOSIUMS, AS WELL AS, UH, THE LONG BEACH ACTIVATING SAFE COMMUNITIES PROGRAM, COMMUNITY ACTIVATION.
WHAT IS IT? THESE ARE EVENTS THAT ARE MEANT TO FOSTER, UH, ENGAGEMENT IN OPEN PUBLIC SPACES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED, UH, CONCENTRATED
[00:25:01]
NOT ONLY VIOLENCE, BUT REPEAT VIOLENCE.UM, THE IDEA IS TO GET, UH, ORGANIZATIONS TO PUT ON EVENTS THAT, UH, RAISE AWARENESS OF, UH, LOCAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, IN ADDRESSING THAT VIOLENCE, UH, DOING, HIGHLIGHTING SAFETY ACTIVITIES, ENGAGING PEOPLE IN SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, UH, WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES, UH, MAKING SURE THAT RESOURCES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARE PRESENT AND, UH, ENGAGING PEOPLE AROUND HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS AND HEALTHY SELVES.
UM, WE HAVE ANOTHER, UH, PROGRAM CALLED THE SAFE PASSAGE, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH IT.
SAFE PASSAGE SEEKS TO IMPLEMENT, UH, A STRATEGY IN WHICH WE INCREASE ADULT MONITORS ALONG, UH, SCHOOL ROUTES AND PUBLIC PARKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LIKELIHOOD FOR, UH, VIOLENCE, THE LIKELIHOOD OF PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLIST INJURY ARE REDUCED.
UM, YOU HAVE PEOPLE CROSSING THE STREET, UH, HELPING YOUTH CROSS THE STREET SAFELY, UM, AS WELL AS REPORTING POTENTIALLY ESCALATING VIOLENCE SITUATIONS TO PROPER AUTHORITIES IF, UH, COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION EXPERTS AREN'T AVAILABLE TO DEESCALATE SITUATIONS ACCORDINGLY.
WE ALSO HAVE BROUGHT TOGETHER A SERIES OF, UH, WORKSHOPS, UH, EVENTS AND SYMPOSIUMS, UH, THAT THROUGH OUR STEERING COMMITTEE HAVE CONVENED, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL AS VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UH, EXPERTS, UH, TO REVIEW THE HISTORY OF ABATEMENT, UH, VIOLENCE, UH, ABATEMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AS WELL AS TO ESTABLISH, UH, CALLS TO ACTION AND BRING MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVES AND SPACES, UH, INTO THE CITY'S EFFORT TO ADVANCE PEACE.
UH, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, A COMPONENT OF ADVANCING PEACE IS OUR ACTIVATING SAFE COMMUNITIES PROGRAM, WHICH MY COLLEAGUE EDUARDO WILL BE REFERENCING MORE TODAY.
THE ONE THING I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH BEFORE ENDING MY PART IS THAT LONG BEACH ACTIVATING SAFE COMMUNITIES IS THE ONLY VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORT THAT IS STRUCTURALLY FUNDED, MEANING THAT IT WILL RECEIVE ANNUAL FUNDING TO DO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.
UH, AND I WILL LET, UH, EDUARDO SPEAK TO THE FUNDING AND TIME SENSITIVE RESOURCE THAT LONG BEACH ACTIVATING SAFE COMMUNITIES IS.
I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR ACTIVATING SAFE COMMUNITIES.
AND I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT DOWN THE, IN THE PRESENTATION EXACTLY WHAT AREA I'M, I'M IN CHARGE OF WHAT IS ACTIVATING SAFE COMMITTEE.
WELL, FIRST IT WAS FUNDED BY THE BOARD OF STATE, THE BOARD OF STATE AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS, AND IT'S FUNDED AS A PILOT PROGRAM DURING, UH, 2020, AND ENDED IN JUNE, 2023.
SO THE PROGRAM IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CITY DEPARTMENTS, THE CBOS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND OTHER COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.
WHAT WE DO, WE'RE IMPLEMENTING OH, MY, THIS ONE.
UM, WHAT WE DO IS THE PROGRAM RESPONDS TO COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IMPACTED BY GUN VIOLENCE, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, IN HOUSING COMMUNITIES, IN PARKS, IN SCHOOLS, AND OTHER AREAS.
NOW, WHAT MAKES WHAT MAKES, UH, THIS PROGRAM UNIQUE IS THAT, UH, WE USE COM.
WE USE, UM, COMMUNITY INTERVENTION WORKERS, AND THEY GO BY VARIOUS OTHER NAMES AS LIKE PEACEKEEPERS, UM, INTERVENTION WORKERS VIOLENCE INTERRUPTERS.
UM, AGAIN, THIS WAS FIRST PILOTED BETWEEN 2020 TO 2023 IN THE WASHINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD AS A PILOT PROGRAM.
AND IF YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS A VERY DENSE, VERY CONDENSED NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, I GUESS YOU GOT WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, YOU HAVE 14TH STREET PARK, YOU HAVE SEASIDE PARK, AND, UH, THE BORDERS ARE REALLY, REALLY TIGHT.
OUR GOALS, I'LL START WITH OUR FIRST GOAL, WHICH WAS TO REDUCE SHOOTINGS AND GUN RELATED DEATHS.
AND THESE ARE THE STRATEGIES THAT WE USE IN OUR PROGRAM, WE DEVELOPED A GUN VIOLENCE RESPONSE SYSTEM, AND IT'S A SYSTEM THAT INCLUDED A PROTOCOL THAT DEFINED WHO DOES WHAT IN THIS PROTOCOL, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, INTERVENTION WORKERS, CASE MANAGERS, SUPPORT SERVICES, SO THAT WE KNOW WHO AND WHAT IS DOING, WHO, WHEN, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, AND WHEN WE ACTIVATE.
UM, AS PART OF THE GUN VIOLENCE RESPONSE SYSTEM, UM, LONG BEACH STAFF AND POLICE DEPARTMENT MET TO REVIEW INCIDENTS, TO LOOK AT HOTSPOTS, TO LOOK AT TRENDS AND CONDUCT FOLLOW UP AFTER SHOOTINGS.
UM, WHAT CAME OUT OF IT AS WELL WAS LEADERSHIP MEETINGS THAT WERE ESTABLISHED MONTHLY.
THESE THINGS HAD NOT BEEN HAPPENING BEFORE, AND IT WASN'T UNTIL OUR PROGRAM THAT WE COORDINATED THESE KINDS OF RESPONSES.
THE PURPOSE OF THE LEADERSHIP MEETINGS WAS TO BRING THE PARTNERS TOGETHER, AND NOT JUST
[00:30:01]
YOU.YOU CAN, YOU CAN ESTABLISH GOOD RELATIONSHIPS AND THEN COME REFERRALS AND WARM HANDOFFS.
IT'S EASIER TO KNOW, UH, WHO'S IN WHAT PART OF THE SYSTEM AND HOW YOU REFER, UM, PARTICIPANTS IN THE SYSTEM.
GOAL TWO, TO INCREASE, UH, ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT, UM, CREDIBLE MESSENGERS.
THESE, UM, INTERVENTION WORKERS, THESE PEACEKEEPERS, UM, THEY'RE CREDIBLE, THEY'RE RESPECTED, AND THEY WORK AND THEY LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN THEY DO THAT, THEY BUILD THAT TRUST THAT MAYBE IT'S NOT THERE BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE COMMUNITY, AND OTHER SEGMENTS OF THE CITY.
AND WHEN THEY DO THAT, THEY GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THEY WIND UP PROVIDING HEALTH SERVICES OR REFERRING TO HEALTH SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, JOB TRAINING SERVICES ARE EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED BY PART PARTICIPANTS.
UH, OUR LAST GOAL HERE IS, UH, INCREASE SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS.
AND YOU HEARD ADRIAN SPEAK OF THAT AS WELL.
UH, AND THAT'S TO HAVE SAFETY, SAFE, SAFE AND HEALTH NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, TWO STRATEGIES THAT WE USED WAS TO EXPAND THE BE SAFE PROGRAM.
IF YOU KNOW THE BESAFE PROGRAM, IT'S A PROGRAM OUT OF THE PARKS, RECREATION, AND MARINE, AND THEY DID IT DURING THE SUMMERTIME.
OUR EFFORTS EXPANDED THAT YEAR ROUND.
AND SO THAT WAS A WAY OF KIND OF BRINGING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AND, UM, PROVIDING A, A WAY TO EX, UH, GET COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
THE OTHER THING WE DID WAS, UM, PARTNERED WITH PARKS AND SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO HOST NEIGHBORHOOD WIDE EVENTS.
UM, DI LOS MARTOS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
THERE WERE MANY OTHER EVENTS THAT BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER.
UH, FAMILIES CAME OUT, THEY CONNECTED WITH NEIGHBORS.
AND A, A UNIQUE PART OF THE
AND THEY GOT A SENSE, UH, AGAIN, THEY CONTINUED, UH, THAT TRUST BUILDING AND GOT A SENSE OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDED.
AND YOU CAN SEE IN THIS SLIDE THAT THERE ARE MANY PARTNERS ON THERE.
YOU'VE GOT CITY PARTNERS, YOU'VE GOT THE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU HAVE, UH, OTHER PARTNERS, UH, CBOS.
AND I'LL SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY BASED AGENCIES, UH, WE SOUGHT TO GET THEM FROM INSIDE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, UH, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
OFTENTIMES, WE HAVE TO REFER FOR OTHER SERVICES BEYOND, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHEN SYSTEM PARTNERS LIKE THESE HERE WORK TOGETHER AND THEY GET A SENSE OF KNOWING WHAT EACH OTHER IS DOING, WE GO FROM WORKING TO SI FROM SILOS TO COL WORKING COLLECTIVELY.
AND THAT'S SORT OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
THAT PROGRAM THAT WAS PILOTED IN WASHINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD WAS EXPANDED INTO THIS NORTH FORK AREA HERE, BORDERED BY ARTESIA BOULEVARD, LONG BEACH BOULEVARD, UM, CHERRY AVENUE.
AND THE OW AND HOW WE CAME ABOUT THESE FOCUS AREAS WAS WE LOOKED AT THE CRIME DATA AND, AND DEATH CERTIFICATE DATA BETWEEN 2018 AND 2022, THE EXPANSION AREA FOR THE CENTRAL EAST.
AND I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THAT, FOR THIS PROGRAM.
AND ADRIAN, MY COLLEAGUE HERE, HE IS THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE CENTRAL EAST AREA.
UM, AND THOSE BORDERS YOU CAN SEE ARE PCH, LONG BEACH BOULEVARD, REDONDO AVENUE, SEVENTH STREET, AND ANAHEIM STREET.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP TO THE LEFT FROM, LET'S SAY LONG BEACH TO RIVER, THAT'S THE AREA THAT THE PILOTS STARTED IN.
THAT'S THE WASHINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE THAT BEHIND.
WE DIDN'T WANNA, WE WANNA STAY CONNECTED WITH THEIR NEEDS, AND WE CONTINUE TO SERVICE THEM IN THIS ITERATION.
AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE OUTCOMES.
WHEN PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER, UH, FAMILIES GET SERVICED.
THEY WIND UP, UH, DOING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITH PG WIND.
THERE'S A VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS THAT SHOW WHAT, UM, WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER IN COLLABORATION.
AND AGAIN, WE HAD EVENTS INSIDE, OUTSIDE, INSIDE THE WASHINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD, AND ALSO WE TOOK, WE TOOK YOUNG FOLKS OUTSIDE THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO EXPERIENCE THE THINGS THAT KIND OF OPENED THEIR MINDS AND GIVE THEM A SENSE OF WHAT THEY COULD BE DOING, UH, OTHER THAN QUOTE UNQUOTE GETTING IN TROUBLE.
RIGHT? UM, A BIG PART OF OUR WORK WAS NOT TO DEMONIZE WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE WERE DOING, BUT TO HELP THEM.
AGAIN, THESE JUST MORE STATISTICS.
AND THESE HAPPENED TO BE WHAT, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION DID AS WELL, UH, IN THEIR SKATE PARKS AND OTHER COMMUNITIES.
AND AGAIN, YOU SEE INTERVENTION WORKERS, YOU SEE YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU SEE A VARIETY OF SERVICES THAT KIND OF BROUGHT, UH, TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MISSING, UH, IN THE PAST.
UM, MOVIES AT THE PARK WAS A BIG THING.
[00:35:01]
WE EXPANDED IT FROM THE SUMMERTIME, ALL, ALL THE WAY INTO, AS UNTIL WE GOT RAINED OUT.UM, THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF SOME OF OUR INTERVENTION WORKER, STAFF AND, UH, CASE MANAGERS.
AND, UM, I WILL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
THIS IS A Q AND A FROM, WE RAN THROUGH THAT REALLY QUICK, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, WE'RE WHERE YOU'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK IF YOU EVER WANT US TO DO A DEEPER DIVE INTO THIS PRESENTATION.
BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS NOW IF THERE'S TIME.
OTHERWISE, LET US KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE US TO COME BACK.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M SURE THAT PROBABLY, I, I HAVE A QUESTION.
I'M GONNA RESERVE MY QUESTION UNTIL AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE OF THE, THE PROCESS.
SO I'M GONNA ASK THE CITY CLERK TO CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE EVENT THERE IS ANY.
AND THEN, UH, I'LL ASK MY QUESTION IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW, OR DIAL STAR NINE OF CALLING IN.
UM, I DEFINITELY WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
I THINK MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT I LOST, UH, MY HUSBAND IN 2016 TO GUN VIOLENCE.
AND, UM, I WAS DOING A LOT OF WORK WITH THE CITY ON GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY.
THE NUMBER ONE VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE ARE BLACK MEN AND HAVE BEEN SINCE 1969.
BLACK WOMEN ARE UP THERE IN GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AS WELL.
AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FROM THE CITY, WHICH IS SOMETHING I HAVE COUNTLESS EMAILS ON WITH SOME OF THE TEAM MEMBERS HERE AS WELL, IS SEEING MORE INCLUSION, SEEING BLACK MEN SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES, SEEING BLACK MEN HOSTING.
AND EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE SOME ORGANIZATIONS THE CITY WORKS WITH, USUALLY WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST IS THAT FUNDING IS SECURED BY CITY.
AND THEN A TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT HAPPENS TO ORGANIZATIONS WHERE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE WORK.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT CAN STOP THE VIOLENCE ARE THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THE VIOLENCE IS.
SO I JUST URGE YOU, IT'S WHAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS AGENDA ITEM ABOUT IS FOR THERE TO BE AN EQUITY CHECK ON THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND WHO'S IN THAT HEALTH DEPARTMENT, VIOLENCE PREVENTION, REENTRY WORK, SO THAT WE SEE THE PEOPLE FIGHTING FOR COMMUNITIES THAT RE REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, THAT PUBLIC, UH, COMMENT.
AND, AND, UH, UH, SINCE YOU, UNDER, SINCE EQUITY WAS UNDERSCORED IN THE COMMENT, THAT IS ESSENTIALLY ONE OF THE MAIN PILLARS OF THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION.
I WANNA THANK, UH, TERESA, ADRIAN, AND MA MEANS THE NAME SAKE, UM, FOR THEIR PRESENTATION, THEIR DEDICATION TO SERVING OUR YOUTH FROM AN ASSETS SYSTEMS BASED APPROACH, UM, AS OPPOSED TO A PUNITIVE APPROACH, WHICH WE KNOW DOESN'T WORK.
AND SO, UM, MY ONLY QUESTION, AND UM, AND THIS MIGHT BE FOR FUTURE PRESENTATION OR I CAN LOOK IT UP, IS, IS, IS THERE, UH, DATA THAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED AND PUT ON SOME TYPE OF HEAT MAP THAT IDENTIFIES AREAS OF THE CITY, UM, THAT HAVE, HAVE MORE PRONE PERHAPS TO YOUTH VIOLENCE? AND ON THAT SAME NOTE, HOW ARE WE DEFINING OF YOUTH VIOLENCE WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CONVERSATION AS WELL, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE, WHEN WE THINK, THINK OF EQUITY.
AND IF THIS IS DATA THAT CAN BE, UH, SHARED AT A LATER TIME, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FORMAL AND IN A PRESENTATION, BUT SOMETHING MAYBE WE CAN LOOK UP THAT'S FINE TOO.
IT'S JUST A QUESTION THAT SURFACE FOR, FOR ME AS, AS, AS A DATA PERSON MYSELF FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO, UH, WHEN WE WERE COMING UP WITH THE BOUNDARIES AND PARAMETERS FOR THE LONG BEACH ACTIVITY, SAFE COMMUNITIES FOCUS AREAS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COLLECTED WAS, UH, HIT AND NO HIT SHOOTING DATA, UH, THAT WAS AVAILABLE THROUGH LBPD AS WELL AS CALIFORNIA DEATH CERTIFICATE DATA FROM 2018 TO 2021.
UH, SPECIFICALLY THE REASON WHY THOSE AREAS WERE CHOSEN WAS NOT ONLY 'CAUSE THEY HAD A CONCENTRATION OF GUN VIOLENCE, BUT THEY HAD A CONCENTRATION OF YOUTH MURDERS TO GUN VIOLENCE AS A, A SPEAKER EARLIER SAID THAT MADE A PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, BLACK YOUTH SPECIFICALLY 1624, ARE AT HIGHEST RISK FOR BEING INVOLVED IN, UH, A GUN VIOLENCE INCIDENT, UH, AND LOSING THEIR LIFE AS A RESULT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR DATA, I FULLY AGREE WITH YOU THERE.
THAT WAS THE INTENTION OF OUR, OF OUR STRATEGIC OUTLINING OF WHAT AREAS
[00:40:01]
TO SERVICE, MAKE SURE THAT THE INTERVENTION GETS TO THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD DEFINITELY NEEDED THE MOST.AS WELL AS, UH, ACCOUNTING FOR THE DIVERSITY THAT WE SEE ALSO IN THAT AREA WITH THE CENTRAL FOCUS AREA, WITH OUR CAMBODIAN RESIDENTS, WITH OUR LATINO RESIDENTS, WITH ALL RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THIS AT A DISPROPORTIONATE, UH, RATE.
UM, WHETHER A HEAT MAP WAS DEVELOPED, I AM NOT TOO SURE ABOUT THAT.
UM, THERE ARE SOME HIPAA RESTRICTIONS THAT DON'T ALLOW US TO SHARE SPECIFIC DETAILS, BUT WE, WE CAN HAVE, UH, DATA AND MAPS AVAILABLE FOR YOU, UH, TO, TO ADVANCE THAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE YOUTH VIOLENCE IS DEFINITELY AT OUR PRIORITY.
I'M GONNA ASK IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS.
UH, COMMISSIONER BUTLER, WAIT, LET ME MAKE SURE THIS IS, I DO THIS OFFICIAL, HOLD ON.
IF I COULD JUST MAKE A POINT OF CLARIFICATION THOUGH.
THAT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE INTRODUCE ARE CITYWIDE, UM, EXCEPT FOR THE FOCUS AREAS, THE RESPONSE, NOT JUST YOUTH VIOLENCE.
SO THIS IS FOR EVERYONE IN OUR CITY.
UM, I REFERENCED THE OFFICIAL KIND OF ORDER OF THIS, 'CAUSE I HAVE TO USE THIS NEW SYSTEM AT THE CITY HALF.
SO I ACTUALLY HAVE COMMISSIONER COVINGTON CUED.
I'M GONNA ASK COMMISSIONER BUTLER TO PRESS SO I CAN QUEUE QUEUE UP ON HERE AS WELL.
SO I JUST WANNA APPRECIATE, UH, STAFF FOR COMING OUT AND PROVIDING US THIS PRESENTATION.
UH, AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN ONE OF THE TARGET AREAS, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INVESTMENT OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
AND I WANT TO APPRECIATE HOW COMMITTED YOU ALL ARE TOWARDS THIS GOAL.
UH, I HAVE SEEN OVER THE YEARS THE TURNOVER OF THE STAFF IN RELATIONSHIP TO VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
SO INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT THE PAST, I WANT TO APPRECIATE THAT Y'ALL ARE COMMITTED TO THE FORWARD AND ALSO AND ASK FOR THE COMMUNITY IN PERSON AND THOSE WATCHING TO REALLY VOLUNTEER AND ASSIST IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE FOR CONNECTIONS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
BECAUSE WE CANNOT ALL JUST, UH, RELY ON THIS OFFICE AND THESE INDIVIDUALS TO SAVE VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
AND OUR TAX DOLLARS AND RESOURCES THAT ARE GOING TO THE, THE TEAM, WE WANNA SEE THEM BE INVESTED IN THE AREAS MOST AT NEED.
AND THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR MANY MONTHS IN TERMS OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION IDEATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND IT FEELS LIKE THE NEED IS WAY TOO HIGH FOR THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST.
SO WE REALLY NEED THE WHOLE COMMUNITY OF LONG BEACH TO STEP UP AND STEP IN WHERE POSSIBLE.
WHETHER THAT MEANS DONATING, WHETHER THAT MEAN CALLING YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER TO REQUEST ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THOSE STRUCTURE FUNDS, ALL OF THAT IS NEEDED TO REDUCE VIOLENCE AND INVEST IN PREVENTION BECAUSE INTERVENTION CAN ONLY GET US SO FAR.
AND I NOW HAVE COMMISSIONER BUTLER QUEUED UP.
SO COMMISSIONER BUTLER, THANK YOU.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION THIS EVENING AND, AND I APPLAUD AND APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT YOU HAVE EXERTED THUS FAR.
ONE OF MY CONCERNS, A REAL BIG CONCERN FOR ME IS THE YOUTH STREET VIOLENCE.
UM, I PERSONALLY WITNESSED THE SITUATION A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND IT, IT REALLY BOTHERED ME TO THE POINT OF ME CALLING THE, OUR CHAIRPERSON TO DISCUSS IT WITH HIM.
UM, IT, IT'S THE, IT'S THE YOUTH, THE YOUTH VIOLENCE IS TAKING PLACE IN MANY OF OUR PUBLIC SPACES.
AND MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THAT I DID NOT SEE ANY ADULTS IN THE AREA TO COMBAT WHAT I WAS WITNESSING.
I WAS HAVING LUNCH AT THE PIKE.
UM, AND THEN THERE WERE A GROUP OF STUDENTS, SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN THAT WERE GATHERED IN THE AREA BETWEEN GLADSTONES AND PF.
AT FIRST I THOUGHT THEY WERE JUST HORSING AROUND, BUT THEN IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THAT IT WAS A GROUP OF STUDENTS, STU, WELL I SHOULD SAY SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN, LATINOS.
IT HAPPENED AT THIS TIME, AND THEY WERE CHASING A YOUNG BLACK BOY TO FIGHT HIM.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, THERE WAS AN ADULT LATINO MAN EGGING THEM ON.
AND SPECIFICALLY HE SAYS, JUST CRACK HIS HEAD ON THE CEMENT, ENCOURAGING THE GROUP TO DO THIS TO THE ONE KID.
UM, AND, AND IT, IT'S NOT OKAY NO MATTER WHO THE PERPETRATORS ARE, BUT
[00:45:01]
THE BIG, MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THAT THERE WAS NO TYPE OF SECURITY TYPE PRESENCE IN THE AREA AT ALL.AND THAT'S AN OPEN AREA WHERE YOU'VE GOT FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS, SENIORS, EVEN JUST OUT ON, ON A WEEKEND AFTERNOON TRYING TO HAVE A DINNER, LUNCH OR WHATEVER THEY MIGHT BE DOING THERE.
SO I URGE YOU TO DRILL DOWN, YOU KNOW, THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'RE MAKING AND WE, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE A STRONGER PRESENCE OUT IN THE COMMUNITIES.
I, I UNDERSTAND WORKING IN A CONCENTRATED AREA, BUT IT IS A CITYWIDE PROBLEM.
AND ALL THE STUDIES IN THE WORLD ARE GREAT, BUT THAT, THAT STEP TAKES FOREVER TO, TO WORK ITS WAY THROUGH BUREAUCRACY.
SO I URGE YOU TO TAKE A REALLY CLOSE LOOK AT THIS AND DRILL DOWN FURTHER IN YOUR EFFORTS.
AND SHARON SHIRIN MADE A COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE BLACK MALES IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE BEING TARGETED AT AN ABSOLUTELY UNFAIR RATE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A PROBLEM FOR EVERYBODY, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR THE BLACK YOUTH.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? I YIELD THE FLOOR.
I, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE WAS, THAT WAS A, IF THERE WAS A QUESTION FOR ME TO ANSWER, BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, COMMISSIONER.
WE'VE SEEN A RISE IN CRIME AMONGST OUR YOUTH.
THERE IS GANG ISSUES ALSO, WE AS A TEAM ARE TRYING TO BUILD, FIRST OF ALL, A RELATION BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE THE VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOLS IS SPILLING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES AT, YOU KNOW, RATES THAT WE AS A TEAM OF THREE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY.
BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN'T DO, BUT FOCUS ON WHAT CAN WE DO, WHAT RESOURCES CAN WE BRING IN? A LOT OF, I'M SURE YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR FUNDING IS GRANT FUNDING AND THAT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, AND WITH THE SHORT STEP, AND I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER COVINGTON'S REMARKS THAT IT TAKES ALL OF US, IT TAKES OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US.
I SAY, 'CAUSE I'VE LIVED IN THE CITY FOR, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME SINCE I WAS FOUR, SO THAT'S A LONG TIME.
UM, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS AND INTENTIONS MOVING FORWARD, IS THE YOUTH VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT OUR CITY CITYWIDE AND NOT JUST IN FOCUS AREAS.
UH, TERESA, UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SO WE, WE, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS, WE DID HAVE A MOTION FOR FILE, UM, AND RECEIVE.
AND, UM, SO I'VE BEEN ASK THE CLERK TO CALL FOR A VOTE TO ACCEPT THAT FILE AND RECEIVE COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ.
COMMISSIONER BUTLER AND COMMISSIONER FLORES.
DO YOU SEE IT ON YOUR TABLET? NO, MY SCREEN IS FROZEN.
CAN I HAVE A VERBAL FROM COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ? YES.
AND COMMISSIONER BUTLER, I CAN TAKE A VERBAL IF IT'S NOT OKAY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME AND ON THE SPOT, CONDENSING THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, NOW I SUSPECT THAT PART OF THE PERHAPS ANSWERS IN TERMS OF WHAT'S SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS RAISED IN THE COMMISSION MIGHT BE IN THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
RIGHT? BUT I ALSO DID ASK FOR SHORTER AGENDA ITEM.
UM, SO IN THE EVENT THAT SOME ANSWERS AREN'T NECESSARILY THERE, WE ALWAYS INVITE BOTH GROUPS OF PRESENTERS, OR IN THIS CASE, UH, A SINGLE PRESENTER COMING UP, UM, UH, TO, TO COME BACK SO WE CAN HAVE A MORE ROBUST AND, AND, AND NUANCED DISCUSSION ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC OF YOUTH VIOLENCE.
SO WITH THAT SAID, I'M GONNA ASK, UM, OUR, OUR CLERK TO READ THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
[3. 23-51403 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from Office of Youth Development on the Youth Strategic Plan. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION FROM OFFICE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ON THE YOUTH STRATEGIC PLAN.CAN I GET A COMMISSIONER TO MOVE THAT ALONG? I THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER BATS AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ.
UM, I HAPPEN TO KNOW IN PERSON DAVID.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, UH, COMMUNITY.
[00:50:01]
LONG BEACH.UH, I GREW UP IN THE WASHINGTON WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, WE WENT TO WEBSTER J ROB AND CABRILLO HIGH SCHOOL ON THE WEST SIDE.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, OPPOSITE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AS THE MANAGER OF OPPOSITE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.
AND I'M ALSO HERE ALONGSIDE OUR ACTING DIVISION OFFICER, STEPHANIE ICK, UH, WAS RIGHT HERE IN FRONT.
UM, ALSO MY MOM'S RIGHT HERE, UP HERE IN FRONT TOO.
UM, SHOUT OUT MOMS. I'M HERE PRESENTING ON EVERYTHING THE OFFICE CITY DEVELOPMENT DOES IN REGARDS TO THE SYSTEMS AFFECTING YOUNG PEOPLE IN LONG BEACH.
AND THE YOUTH STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH IS THE STRATEGY THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TAKES TO EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE ALL THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IN THE YOUTH STRATEGIC PLAN AS WE DEFINE YOUTH, IT IS EIGHT TO 24.
THIS WAS SOMETHING DECIDED AND INFORMED BY YOUNG PEOPLE THEMSELVES WHEN THEY BROUGHT THIS PLAN TOGETHER.
UM, AND IT FOCUSES A LOT ON, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL AND TRANSITION, TRANSITION AGE YOUTH.
AND, AND WE ARE THE CONTINUUM AFTER EARLY CHILDHOOD.
EARLY CHILDHOOD IS USUALLY AROUND ZERO TO FIVE, ZERO TO EIGHT, ZERO TO 10, AND THEN THE NEXT PHASE INTO THEIR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTHOOD.
AND IN LONG BEACH, WE HAVE AROUND A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UH, YOUTH, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
THIS IS A PICTURE FROM ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS, MY HOOD, MY CITY, WHICH IS A YOUTH STORYTELLING PROGRAM WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGHOUT NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL LONG BEACH TELL A STORY ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, THROUGH A, A LENS OF AWARENESS, PRIDE, AND RESILIENCE.
UH, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES SOME THESE NEIGHBORHOODS MAY FACE, THERE'S A LOT OF BEAUTY AND RESILIENCE AND POWER OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THEY, YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE IT OUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU CAN MAKE IT BETTER.
UM, AND I'M A TESTAMENT TO THAT AS WELL AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN THE WASHINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, HERE'S A FEW QUICK DEMOGRAPHICS.
I'M GONNA TRY TO KEEP THIS PRESENTATION AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, BUT THESE ARE ALSO IN OUR YOUTH STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH YOU CAN FIND ONLINE, UM, IN LONG BEACH.
THE MAJORITY YOUTH ARE FOUND IN NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL LONG BEACH.
UH, THIS ALSO DOES ALIGN WITH OUR VIN PREVENT FOCUS AREAS AND PRIORITY AREAS AS WELL.
UM, AND THESE ARE JUST THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF YOUTH WHO LIVE IN LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS AND THE RACE AND, AND ETHNICITY OF YOUTH IN LONG BEACH.
UH, THE VISION OF THE YOUTH STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, IS RIGHT UP HERE.
THIS WAS INFORMED BY 18 YOUTH AMBASSADORS AND DIFFERENT ADVISORS AND, UM, SOME COMMISSIONERS, UH, HERE AS WELL.
WE PART OF THAT PROCESS, UH, AND THIS IS A THREE TO FIVE YEAR PLAN THAT WAS PUT FORWARD AND PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 2021.
UM, THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED.
AND THE MY BROTHERS KEEPER TOWN HALLS, WHICH FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON YOUTH VIOLENCE AS IT RELATES TO YOUNG MEN OF COLOR IN LONG BEACH, UM, AND THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS AND SURVEYS THAT WENT OUT.
UH, THIS QR CODE, IF YOU TAKE OUT YOUR CAMERA, YOU CAN SCAN IT AND YOU CAN SEE THE YOUTH STRATEGIC PLAN ITSELF.
UH, THE CITY ENGAGES, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE AND WITH 71 PROPOSED ACTIVITIES OF WHAT TO DO TO IMPLEMENT AND TO EMPOWER OUR, UH, YOUNG YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.
AND THE STATEMENT OF POSSIBILITY WAS A STATEMENT FORMED BY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF THE YOUTH STRATEGIC PLAN PROCESS.
UH, THE DIFFERENT GOALS FOCUSED ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, UH, YOUTH HEALTH, UH, YOUTH FUTURES, UH, YOUTH AND COMMUNITY CARE, YOUTH HOUSING AND YOUTH TRANSPORTATION, ALL DIFFERENT AREAS OF YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND FOR COMMUNITY CARE SPECIFICALLY, GOAL FOUR, COMMUNITY CARE IS FOCUSED ON SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AND, UH, VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION, UM, AND INTERSECTION OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION HAS BEEN GUIDED BY A FORMATION OF YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL.
HERE'S JUST A COUPLE PHOTOS OF YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, THE YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS HOLD THE CITY ACCOUNTABLE TO THIS PLAN AND MAKE SURE IT ISN'T JUST A PLAN THAT SITS ON ANY SHELF THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY GET IMPLEMENTED.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS REAL AND WE STICK TO OUR WORK.
UH, FORMERLY THE YOUTH ADVISOR COUNCIL PROVIDED A TWO YEAR UPDATE ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND WHERE IT WAS AT.
AND WE ARE PARING PREPARING FOR IN MARCH TO PROVIDE A THREE YEAR UPDATE ALONG WITH THE PROGRESS REPORT, UH, FOR THE PLAN.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW DIFFERENT PHOTOS FROM OUR YOUTH FESTIVAL AND DIFFERENT YOUTH WHO ARE INVOLVED IN OUR OFFICE.
UH, OUR PAST YOUTH FESTIVAL, UH, WAS IN SEPTEMBER AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE.
WE HAVE A, A YEARLY EVENT WHERE WE ENGAGE ALL YOUNG PEOPLE IN LONG BEACH, UH, THROUGH CONNECTING, BUILDING, AND EMPOWERING.
UM, ANOTHER WAY WE ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE IS OUR OFFICE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT DISPERSES A YOUTH FUND, UM, TO FUND YOUTH SERVING ORGANIZATIONS IN LONG BEACH.
AND WE DO IT THROUGH A PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING PROCESS, BUT BASICALLY JUST MEANS YOUNG PEOPLE VOTE ON HOW TO SPEND THESE DOLLARS THEMSELVES.
AND LAST YEAR IN OUR PARTICIP BUDGETING PROCESS, WE HAD 852 YOUTH VOTE ALL THROUGHOUT LONG BEACH.
AND THE PARTICIP BUDGETING PROCESS IS STARTING UP AGAIN, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, AROUND $400,000 ARE GONNA GO OUT FOR YOUTH SERVING ORGANIZATIONS.
AND ALL YOUTH IN LONG BEACH AGES 13, UH, TO 26, WILL VOTE ON EXACTLY WHERE THESE DOLLARS GET SPENT, UH, AND WHICH PROGRAMS GET FUNDED IN LONG BEACH.
UM, THE BEST DECISION, UH, FOR, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND WHICH PROGRAMS THEY SHOULD HAVE ARE FROM YOUNG PEOPLE THEMSELVES AND ARE AS A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE.
[00:55:03]
UH, THIS IS JUST A POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK.THAT'S WHAT WE BRING TO THE APPROACH.
WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON THE PREVENTION AND THE UPSTREAM APPROACH TOWARDS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND HOW IT INTERSECTS WITH VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
UH, AGENCY ASKED ITS CONTRIBUTION ENABLING ENVIRONMENT, AND THIS IS OUR 2024 YOUTH POWER PB TIMELINE OF THIS PARTICIPANT BUDGETING PROCESS.
SO IT'S GONNA BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND YOUTH ALL THROUGHOUT LONG BEACH WILL BE ABLE TO VOTE FROM ANY ZIP CODE IN ANY AREA.
UH, WE JUST HAD OUR ORIENTATION RECENTLY AND WHERE YOUTH ARE FORMING A STEERING COMMITTEE TO START THIS PROCESS.
UM, THIS IS A QUICK WAY, UH, A SLIDE ON AUTHENTIC YOUTH ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, ADULTS, YOU KNOW, IN THE ROOM, AND I THINK IT'S ALWAYS POWERFUL TO SHOW, UH, UH, WAYS TO ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, TO BE AN ALLY TOWARDS, UH, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.
RECENTLY, CITY LA IS, IS, UH, GONNA PUT OUT A YOUTH STRATEGIC PLAN, MODELED OFF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, AND THEY DID A SURVEY, UM, OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN LONG BEACH.
AND I, I THOUGHT THIS WAS SOMETHING POWERFUL, AND THIS IS A RECENT ONE, THE, THE THINGS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT THE MOST.
AND IT'S A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.
AND THE NUMBER ONE THING WAS HAVING ENOUGH MONEY, UH, FOR THE THINGS THEY NEED.
THE VISION OF THE PLAN IS YOUTH ARE HEALTHY AND EMPOWERED WITH A NECESSARY RESOURCE DEVELOPING THEIR TRUE, AUTHENTIC SELVES.
IT'S SOMETHING, UH, WE TALK ABOUT A LOT.
UH, OUR YOUTH STRATEGIC PLAN IS A LIVING DOCUMENT WHERE ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE TO THIS PLAN.
AND WE WORK THROUGH A COLLECTIVE IMPACT, UH, APPROACH THROUGH THIS PROCESS ALONGSIDE OUR YOUTH SERVING PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH, UH, OUR YOUTH SERVICES NETWORK, UM, AND OUR DIFFERENT, UH, YOUTH WORK GROUPS THAT, THAT WE HAVE LIKE OUR YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL AND OTHER YOUTH LEADERSHIP BODIES.
UM, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IS AN INTERSECTION OF VIOLENCE INTERVENTION.
UH, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT DOES KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE AND OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE.
WE'RE ENGAGING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ENSURING THEY'RE, THEY'RE ON A PATH, UH, WHERE THEY'RE EMPOWERED AND THEY, THEY, THEY'RE IN A PATH THAT THAT'S GONNA SUPPORT THEIR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SPECIFICALLY ONE PROGRAM WE'RE GONNA BE FOCUSING ON LAUNCHING SOON IS A PROGRAM THAT FOCUS ON OPPORTUNITY YOUTH OPPORTUNITY YOUTH ARE OPPORTUNITY YOUTH BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MOST OPPORTUNITY FOR CONNECTION BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED, UH, FROM SCHOOL AND WORK.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE THE MOST OPPORTUNITY TO BE CONNECTED TO DIFFERENT PATHWAY, WHETHER IT'S SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP, COLLEGE AND EDUCATION, UH, SPACE SPEECH OR OTHER INDUSTRY ALIGNED CAREERS HERE IN LONG BEACH.
I'M SURE OUR LOCAL YOUTH, UM, BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
UM, AND THAT WORK WILL BE LAUNCHING IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS, UH, UH, AS WE SUPPORT IT.
UM, OVERALL, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IS, UH, A BIG LENS IN OUR VINES PREVENTION WORK, AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR VINES PREVENTION TEAM TO ENSURE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST EFFECTIVE ARE A PART OF THE SOLUTION AND THE PROCESS OF ENGAGEMENT.
AND WE DO THAT THROUGH OUR YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL.
WE DO THAT THROUGH YOUTH DESIGN SESSIONS, UM, AND DIFFERENT TEAM MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE ON OUR TEAM.
AND OBVIOUSLY, DEVELOPMENT IS A, A TEAM OF TWO FULL-TIME STAFF, MYSELF AND YANI EDWARDS AND WE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE PART-TIME STAFF, MALIKA, LASSETER, ABRAHAM, TINO, MANSO, AND INTERNS AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE HOPING TO GROW SOON AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO INVEST MORE IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.
UH, BUT THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE COULD ASK FOR IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING YOUTH IN LONG BEACH IS ENSURING THAT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IS KEPT UP IN THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CONVERSATION OF, UH, WHAT IS VIOLENCE PREVENTION, WHAT DOES PUBLIC SAFETY LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS KEEPING NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES SAFE IN ADDITION TO EVERYTHING THE CITY ALREADY DOES? THAT'S IT FOR ME, DAVID, VERY SIMILAR TO THE FIRST PRESENTATION, I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW YOU'RE TAKING THIS ASSET-BASED APPROACH TO THE WORK THAT WE DO, WHICH IS, WHICH IS SEMINAL IN, IN WORKING WITH OUR YOUTH, ESPECIALLY AS A, WHAT I CALL ANO, MEANING I'M A VETERAN, LIFELONG EDUCATOR, AND I KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF APPROACHING YOUTH IN THAT PARTICULAR WAY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TO THAT LENS.
SO, SO, UM, JUST MUCH GRATITUDE FOR, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND FOR COMING HERE TONIGHT AND CONDENSING THAT INFORMATION TO US.
AND YOU'RE ALWAYS, ALWAYS WELCOME TO COME TO PRESENT.
UM, ARE THERE ANY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS WITH COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR DAVID SINCE WE HAVE THEM? UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, JUAD.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, DAVID MCGILL, SONO FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS.
UH, WITHIN THE OFFICE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, MY DAUGHTER IS, UH, HONORED TO BE PART OF THE INAUGURAL YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, AND I PERSONALLY SAW THE POSITIVE CHANGES THAT YOU HAD GIVEN HER AND, UH, IT REALLY ENCOURAGED HER TO BE MORE ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I SEE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT, AND I HOPE YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERYTHING THAT THE OFFICE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT HAS TO OFFER.
THE PART PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING PROCESS.
YOU HAVE A VOICE ON WHAT PROGRAMS YOU WANT TO SEE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND I, I THANK THE OFFICE FOR PROVIDING THAT TO OUR
[01:00:01]
YOUTH AND JUST MANY GREAT PROGRAMS THAT ENABLE, UH, EMPOWER THEM TO MAKE DECISIONS AND, AND TO BE, UH, ONE OF THE PHOTOS IS THEM SPEAKING AT A CONFERENCE, UM, INVOLVING MANY, UM, LEADERS IN THE HEALTH INDUSTRY.AND THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW, HOW MUCH KNOWLEDGE OUR YOUTH HAS AND HOW MUCH OFFERING THEY HAVE IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND I, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO EXERCISE THAT VOICE.
COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR COVINGTON, UH, JUST DEEP APPRECIATIONS TO THE OFFICE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.
UH, FOR FOLKS WHO DON'T KNOW, THIS OFFICE IS FAIRLY NEW.
IT WAS CREATED TWO YEARS AGO, UH, AND A LOT OF THE SUPPORT, UH, WAS DONE THROUGH THE FAMILIES, THE CHILDREN'S AND FAMILIES COMMISSION.
I SEE THE CHAIR HERE, SO BIG KUDOS TO YOU AND ALL THE SUPPORT AND THE MANY YOUTH ORGANIZING ORGANIZATIONS WHO DID THE WORK TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UM, ONE OF THE, THE GAPS THAT I SEE WITHIN OUR PROGRAMMING WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS MANY OF THE PROGRAMS ACTUALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ATTENDANCE RATES, UH, AND THE ENGAGEMENT, MANY OF THE STUDENTS ARE HIGH ENGAGEMENT STUDENTS.
SO EITHER THEY'RE ON A PATH TO CAREER OR ARE THEY, EITHER THEY'RE ON A PATH TO COLLEGE OR THEY HAVE A, A, UM, SUPPORTIVE FAMILY STRUCTURE.
AND SO WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER TIME, ESPECIALLY DOING PERSONAL OUTREACH TO A LOT OF THE STUDENTS WHO I WANT IN THESE PROGRAMS, THEY JUST DON'T SEE THEMSELVES IN IT.
AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS A CITY TO REALLY THINK ABOUT, UH, ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF INCENTIVIZING STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE.
I KNOW THAT Y'ALL DO GIFT CARDS AND SOMETIMES THERE'S STIPENDS AVAILABLE FOR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A PROGRAM THAT IS SIMILAR TO, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A CITY FOR, UH, PAYING FAMILIES, UH, $500 A MONTH, UH, BUT DO A SYSTEM LIKE THAT.
WE'RE PAYING YOUNG PEOPLE A HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH, UH, TO ENGAGE IN CITY SERVICES BECAUSE MY FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER USED TO SAY, IF YOU GIVE A YOUTH A JOB, YOU'LL END A BULLET OR YOU'LL STOP A BULLET.
BUT NOWADAYS, OUR JOBS ARE NOT PAYING ENOUGH FOR OUR STUDENTS TO ENGAGE.
AND SO WE NEED TO GET CREATIVE BY DOING MORE PREVENTATIVE WORK AND INVESTING IN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
UH, I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR, THE CITY COUNCIL FOR INVESTING IN THE YOUTH EVERY YEAR.
THEY DO SUCH A GREAT JOB AND THEY DO MORE EVERY YEAR, UH, BUT IT, THE VIOLENCE IS STILL RISING.
SO IN ORDER TO COMBAT THE RISE IN VIOLENCE, WE HAVE TO ALSO INVEST MORE IN THESE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY APPRECIATION AND ALSO, UM, JUST SUPER KUDOS TO YOU FOR THE PB PROCESS.
I KNOW THAT WAS A, A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING.
UM, SO JUST MY QUESTION FOR YOU, IS PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING GONNA STAY, UM, AS A PART OF THAT PROCESS FOR THAT FUNDING ANNUALLY? OR CAN YOU JUST SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE? YEAH, THERE WAS A, A MOTION PUT FORWARD TO, TO HAVE THE PARTICIP BUDGET PROCESS, LIKE A STRUCTURAL PART OF THE YOUTH FUND.
SO WE SEE IT HERE, HERE FOR GOOD, HERE TO STAY.
AND THEN EACH, SO IS THAT AN ANNUAL CYCLE? AND THEN ARE YOU WORKING WITH OTHER PARTNERS LIKE, UM, LONG BEACH FORWARD AND OTHER TYPE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS ON THAT? OR IS IT JUST CITY RUN? IT'S AN ANNUAL CYCLE AND WE PARTNER WITH THE NON-PROFIT PARTNERSHIP AND THE INVESTING YOUTH COALITION, WHICH IS ANCHORED BY KAMAI GIRLS IN ACTION, KGA, BUT ALSO INCLUDES LONG BEACH FORWARD YOUTH LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, UM, ST.
MARY'S, EM THREE, UH, A LOT OF OTHER YOUTH FROM ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE PART OF THE PROCESS, UM, AND WHO PARTNER WITH PUTTING, UH, PART YOUR BUDGETING PROCESS TOGETHER AND ALL THE IDEA COLLECTION, PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN THE VOTER AFFAIRS AND, UH, VOTER VOTING SITES THAT HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THANK YOU ON IN MY EXCITEMENT TO PROVIDE YOU GRATITUDE FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND OPEN THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONS.
I MOMENTARILY FORGOT TO OPEN THE FLOOR FROM PUBLIC COMMENT, SO WE MIGHT BE DOING THIS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER.
UH, USUALLY JUST SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS, I LIKE TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST BECAUSE THAT GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LISTEN AS COMMISSIONERS AND THEN RESPOND TO THAT.
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IS MY LAPSE AND I WILL OWN IT.UM, AND I'LL ASK, UH, UH, OUR CLERK TO OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS IN PERSON, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.
PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME, AND IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE USE A RAISED HAND FEATURE NOW OR DIAL STAR NINE.
IF CALLING IN, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND START WITH IN-PERSON FIRST.
I WENT TO LONG BEACH POLY HIGH, UH, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UH, HI MOM
THIS IS INCREDIBLE WORK BECAUSE WHEN I WAS GROWING UP HERE, I OFTEN FELT LIKE I WAS FIGURING IT OUT ON MY OWN OR IN MY COMMUNITY, AND TO SEE MY CITY INVESTING IN THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WISH I HAD.
THAT'S WHAT I WISH I HAD WHEN I WAS A KID.
AND I'M SO PROUD TO SEE THAT HAPPENING.
NOW, I DO WANNA MAKE ONE POINT, THE $400,000 OR SO THAT'S BEING INVESTED, ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, ALL THE INCREDIBLE PROGRESS BEING DONE, THAT'S NOT A BIG AMOUNT OF MONEY.
LET ME PUT THAT INTO ADVERSE EFFECTI.
THAT'S ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AS LONG BEACH SPENT TO BUY A NEW ARMORED CAR.
UH, THEY BOUGHT THREE ACTUALLY.
AND SO WHAT I WANNA REALLY EMPHASIZE HERE IS THAT THIS KIND OF HUMAN-CENTERED, GENERATIVE HEALING WORK, THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY WE WANT A PEOPLE'S BUDGET.
THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY WE WANT TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND WE KNOW WHAT POT OF MONEY IS THE BIGGEST HERE IN THE CITY.
UH, WE KNOW WHAT POT OF MONEY IS NEARLY HALF OF THE, OF THE, OF THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, AND THAT'S THE POLICE BUDGET.
AND SO AS WE CELEBRATE, AS WE CELEBRATE THE INCREDIBLE WORK BEING DONE HERE, UH, AS WE CELEBRATE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE SEE AS CREATING EQUITY IN A CITY THAT WAS FOUNDED ON INEQUITY, AS WE SEE THAT, I AM REMINDED THAT IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS WHEN THEY'RE PASSING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN X, Y, AND Z THING THAT DOESN'T HEAL, BUT RATHER FUNDS HARM OR FARM OR HARM FUNDS PAYING WELL, I SEE IN A MOMENT LIKE THIS IS POSSIBILITY.
AND SO IF THEY CAN DO THIS WITH $400,000, IF THEY CAN DO THIS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE ARMORED CAR, IMAGINE WHAT THEY COULD DO IF ALL THOSE ARMORED CARS REUSED TO HEAL OUR STUDENTS, HELP OUR KIDS HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS COMMISSION IN PARTICULAR, IF YOU GO BACK IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COMMISSION, IT WAS FOUNDED IN RESPONSE TO STUDENT ACTIVISM WHEN IT WAS STILL CALLED THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION BACK IN THE DAY.
AND SO THIS SPIRIT OF ACTIVISM THAT'S IN THE BONES IN THE DNA OF THIS COMMISSION.
AND SO I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE SO MANY ACTIVISTS HERE, SOME WHO ARE NEW, SOME WHO HAVE BEEN IN THIS FIGHT FOR SO LONG, AND WHATEVER CAUSES THEY SUPPORT OR CAUSES, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE CITY LOOKS LIKE AT ITS BEST.
UM, AND SO I HOPE THAT AS WE SEE THIS IMPORTANT WORK, WE CAN HIGHLIGHT THESE THINGS AS WE CALL FOR BUDGETS THAT REFLECT OUR VALUES, BUDGETS THAT REFLECT OUR PRIORITIES AND BUDGETS THAT REFLECT OUR POSSIBILITY.
WE'RE GETTING THERE, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
AND THIS IS THE KINDA WORK THAT WILL GET US THERE IF WE FUND IT AND WE KNOW WHERE TO GET THAT MONEY FROM.
UM, MY NAME IS ALANA ENRIQUE, AND I WANNA FIRST APOLOGIZE FOR NOT SPEAKING WITH ALL THE DATA AND FACTS THAT I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD HAVE FOR THIS COMMENT.
I DIDN'T EXPECT TO MAKE IT TONIGHT.
UM, I WENT TO MILLIKEN HIGH SCHOOL AND I GRADUATED IN 2019.
AND WHAT I HAVE SEEN AS MY EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT THAT ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ROADBLOCKS TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN LONG BEACH IS SEGREGATION OF OUR SCHOOLS, UM, BASED ON NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THAT MEANS THAT IT'S BASED ON CLASS.
AND THERE'S AN INTERSECTION OF THAT WITH OBVIOUSLY LIKE ETHNICITY, UM, AND LIKE, UH, IMMIGRANT STATUS.
UH, THERE IS A VERY STARK DIFFERENCE IN QUALITY OF ALL THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN LONG BEACH BASED ON NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AND THAT GOES ON TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND WHEN YOU MAKE HIGH SCHOOL, THE, OUR ONLY MAGNET SCHOOLS IN LONG BEACH THAT ARE HIGH SCHOOLS, THE PATHWAYS, UM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN GPA TO GET INTO SPECIFIC PATHWAYS.
YOU'RE TELLING ALL STUDENTS THAT COME FROM LOW INCOME BACKGROUNDS, THEIR PARENTS COULDN'T HELP THEM, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME, OR, UH, THEIR SCHOOLS WERE UNDERFUNDED, WHATEVER THE REASON MIGHT BE THAT THEY HAVE A LOW GPA.
UM, IT'S NOT LIKE LAZINESS WHEN IT'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEMOGRAPHICS, LIKE, AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU CAN'T BLAME THAT ON LIKE THE INDIVIDUAL.
AND THEN YOU TELL THEM LIKE, OKAY, YOU CAN'T BE IN THE COLLEGE READINESS PATHWAY.
YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THE PATHWAY THAT TRAINS YOU FOR THE, FOR LABOR.
UM, YOU'RE BASICALLY TELLING LIKE STUDENTS CULTURALLY, UH, LIKE, YOU KNOW, DON'T WORRY ABOUT SCHOOL GIVE UP.
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YOU'RE NOT GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THIS THAT WORK SO HARD TO MAKE THAT PROGRESS, BUT YOU HAVE AN INSTITUTIONAL AND SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS, LIKE THAT WORK IS BASICALLY, IT'S NOT FOR NOTHING, BUT IT'S SCRATCHING THE SURFACE WHEN WE NEED TO PRESSURE OUR DISTRICT AND OUR SCHOOL BOARD TO GET RID OF THESE ROADBLOCKS AND TO LIKE FIGHT FOR EQUITY AND, UM, LIKE DESEGREGATE OUR SCHOOLS.
BECAUSE THAT DEFINED MY EXPERIENCE AND THE EXPERIENCE OF EVERYONE I KNOW, UH, WHO ATTENDED LWSD SCHOOLS AND LIKE, UH, IT'S, IT'S A PROBLEM.
SO WHATEVER THAT WE CAN DO HERE TO, TO SORT OF LIKE PRESSURE THAT TO, TO HAPPEN, UM, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED MY COMMENT TO BE.
HI, MY NAME IS MARLENE ALVARADO.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE AND, AND I WAS, UH, 80 YEARS OLD DECEMBER THE SECOND.
BUT WHEN I GREW UP IN CHICAGO, WE HAD SETTLEMENT HOUSES.
IT STARTED WITH JANE ADAMS AND I LIVED IN A, UH, UH, IMMIGRANT OLD NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY EVENTUALLY DESTROYED IT TO BUILD THIS, THE, THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, WHICH IS A DISGRACE, BUT EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD HAD A SETTLEMENT HOUSE.
THEY HAD HEALTHCARE FOR THEIR KIDS, FOR THEIR MOTHERS, THEY HAD AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. I REMEMBER GOING, WE HAD LIBRARY.
EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD I WENT TO, WE HAD A SETTLEMENT HOUSE.
I USED TO GO TO CAMP RYBERG IN THE SUMMER.
THE ENTIRE, UH, CITY OF CHICAGO'S KIDS COULD GO TO SUMMER CAMP IN THE SUMMER.
WE NEED THAT HERE AT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SETTLEMENT HOUSES, PLACES WHERE THE KIDS CAN GO TO AT, UH, WELLNESS CLASSES FOR THEIR PARENTS.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND IT'S REALLY SAD THAT WE DO SPEND MORE MONEY ON OUR POLICE THAN WE DO ON OUR YOU.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE.
THE ONLY RESPONSE THAT I HAVE, UH, FIRST OF ALL, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
TWO, UM, TWO, UM, DATA IS IMPORTANT, BUT NARRATIVE, PASSION, EXPERIENCE THAT SOMETIMES CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS MORE SO THAN, THAN THAN DATA.
I'M NOT KNOCKING DATA, I'M A DATA PERSON, BUT, BUT, SO I JUST WANNA B UPLIFT THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S PARTICULARLY 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A YOUTH AND, AND, AND I VALUE THE POWER OF, OF A VOICE AND, AND NARRATIVE.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
UM, GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE AGENDA ITEM, THERE WAS A, A MOTION TO FILE AND RECEIVE.
AND I THINK FOR THE MEMBERS OF PUBLIC, WHAT I CAN OFFER, UM, IS MOVING FORWARD WITH AD HOC COMMITTEES, POSSIBLY, UM, DOWN THE LINE AND THEN REEXAMINING A ROADMAP TO SEE WHERE THIS FITS WITHIN A ROADMAP.
SO WE'RE GONNA OFFER CONCRETE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL, AND I'M OFFERING THAT BECAUSE I THINK OF THE ROBUST NATURE OF, OF THE COMMENTS AND THE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, I THINK WE ALL NEED TO HEAR THAT IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL OUTCOMES DOWN THE LINE.
UM, CAN I CALL FOR THE VOTE? OH, I'M SORRY.
COMMISSIONER BUTLER, DO YOU SEE IT ON YOUR TABLET? UH, CAN I HAVE A VERBAL FROM COMMISSIONER BATS? YES, IT SAYS YES.
AND THEN THE, THE MOTION PASSES.
[4. 23-51404 Recommendation to receive and file a discussion on the Equity and Human Relations Commission’s November 13, 2023 letter to the Mayor and City Council. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
THE CLERK TO ASSURE US ALONG TO AGENDA ITEM FOUR.ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A DISCUSSION ON THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATION COMMISSION'S.
LETTER TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
TWO YEARS AGO, I LOST A BROTHER.
THERE'S NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT I DON'T MISS HIM.
TWO WEEKS AGO, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND MY FALL BREAK WITH MY CHOSEN FAMILY, MY HUSBAND, MY TWO
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GOD KIDS, MY RES CO MOTHERS, AND AGAIN, OUR CHOSEN FAMILY.AND THAT'S THE THEME OF FAMILY.
A FEW DAYS AGO, I LIKE TO RUN ON THE BEACH IN OUR MAGNIFICENT CITY, AND I SAW A FILIPINO DJ PLAYING HOUSE MUSIC, UH, BLACK COMMUNITY MEMBERS, LATINOS, WHITE, WELL JUST DANCING, UH, INFORMALLY ON THE BLUFF.
I'M SURE SOME OF US HAVE SEEN THAT.
SO I'D LIKE TO BRAID THOSE THREE THEMES.
LOVE, FAMILY, GRIEF AND JOY UNDER THE THEME OF LOVE.
THOSE ARE ALL MANIFESTATIONS OF LOVE.
AND WHEN I THINK OF THE AGENDA ITEM THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON IN TERMS OF PUBLIC COMMENT AND DISCUSSION, ALL OF US ARE GOING THROUGH TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES.
AND THAT THEME OF LOVE FOR ME IS IMPORTANT TO CENTER US BECAUSE THERE'S SHARED HUMANITY IN THAT EMOTION.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT A LOT OF THE REASONS WHY THIS IS SUCH A SENSITIVE TOPIC TO ENGAGE IN IS BECAUSE ALL OF US HAVE IDENTITIES, DIVERSE IDENTITIES, COMMUNITIES, IDEOLOGIES, THINGS THAT WE ADHERE TO WHEN WE TRY TO SEE OURSELVES IN ONE ANOTHER AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
BUT WHEN WE SEE THE HORRIFIC VIOLENCE THAT HAS OCCURRED IN BOTH ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, RIGHT, OUR EMOTIONS SURFACE, RIGHT, WHICH IS A NATURAL RESPONSE TO THAT TRAUMA.
SO I WANNA BE VERY MINDFUL AND CAREFUL HERE THAT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF ALL THE RULES THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW IN THESE CHAMBERS IS THE DIALOGUE, RIGHT? THE AGENDA ITEM IS A DISCUSSION ON THE LETTER THAT WE PUT FORTH AS A COMMISSION A MONTH AGO WITH STATEMENTS AND LANGUAGE.
BUT REALLY THE CRUX OF THAT LETTER, RIGHT? THE SPIRIT OF THAT LETTER WAS RECALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE.
NOW I UNDERSTAND THERE'S DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT AND OPINION AND FEELINGS ON EVEN THE CRUX OF THAT LETTER AND ALSO THE LANGUAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT LETTER.
AND WE ARE WELL PREPARED 'CAUSE THIS IS OUR JOB TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITY AND UPLIFT COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE HOPEFULLY ON THE SCREEN.
AND THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN WE ALL HAVE TO AGREE.
AND IN FACT, I'M PRETTY CONVINCED THAT WE'RE ALL NOT GOING TO AGREE, AND THAT'S OKAY.
FOR MANY YEARS NOW, WE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH THE STATUS OF DEMOCRACY IN THIS PARTICULAR COUNTRY.
WE CAN'T SHY AWAY FROM THAT TOPIC.
BUT FOR ME, STEP ONE IN HAVING A HEALTHY DEMOCRACY IS BEING ABLE TO HAVE A HEALTHY DIALOGUE, RIGHT? IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
SO I WELCOME ALL OF YOU ONCE AGAIN TO PROVIDE YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR FEEDBACK, YOUR IDEAS, RIGHT ON THE RESPONSE TO THE LETTER.
AND WHAT OUR CHARGE IS HERE IS TO LISTEN.
BUT MY ASK IS ALSO FOR ALL OF US TO LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER IN THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITIES, WE LOVE OUR PEOPLE, AND I HOPE WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT WE WANT TO END ATROCIOUS VIOLENCE THAT IS OCCURRING RIGHT IN THAT REGION OF THE WORLD.
AND I HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN UNIFY AGAINST AND FIGURE OUT WHAT LANGUAGE OR WHAT RECOMMENDATION OR FURTHER STEPS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE AS A CITY TO UNIFY BEHIND.
AND SO THAT IS MY CHARGE AND MY ASK TO EVERYONE, NOT ONLY WITHIN THE SPACE, BUT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THE OTHER ASK THAT I HAVE IS THAT I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UM, A LOT OF ACTIVISM THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND THAT'S PART OF DEMOCRACY.
AND THAT ACTIVISM HAS TRANSLATED INTO THE CHAMBERS, NOT JUST HERE TODAY, BUT IN CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S ALSO PROCESSES AND THE QUORUM AND ABILITY TO HAVE THAT DIALOGUE AND MOVING IMPORTANT WORK FORWARD.
SO I HUMBLY ASK THAT WE REFLECT ON THAT SO THAT WHEN WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE, NOT JUST WITH THIS COMMISSION, BUT OTHER COMMISSIONS, AND OF COURSE OUR CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYORS THAT WE CARVE OUT PATHWAYS FOR THAT DIALOGUE SO WE CAN ACCOMPLISH SOME OF THE GOALS THAT HOPEFULLY THAT WE CAN, WE CAN ALL RALLY ON.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO LISTEN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PARTICIPANTS WILL NECESSARILY ENGAGE IN PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT SOMETHING THAT I WANNA BE TRANSPARENT ON IS WE ARE COMMITTED TO STAY STAYING HERE LATE, RIGHT? UM, BUT I ALSO WANNA, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF, AND WE WILL DO THIS IN REAL TIME TO, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY FOLKS LINE UP, I MAY HAVE TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE DECISION, RIGHT? TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE CAN SPEAK.
BUT THAT MIGHT BE SHORTENING TIME.
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HAVE TO EYEBALL THAT AND, UH, TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY.BUT ALSO AS WE LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER, IF YOUR COMMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ARE LISTENING, I KNOW THESE FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, WE, WE ARE GREAT LISTENERS.
AND IF YOUR COMMENT HAS BEEN SHARED ALREADY, MAYBE AMENDING YOUR COMMENT OR RESERVE FOR THE TIME.
THAT WAY WE CAN GET THROUGH OUR DISCUSSION AND DECIDING WHAT WE'RE GONNA WORK.
AND AFTER THE DISCUSSION, I'M ALSO GONNA ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY TO GO OVER THE PARAMETERS OF THE AGENDA ITEM AND WHAT, WHAT CAN BE DONE WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, SO THAT YOU ARE FULLY AWARE AS A PUBLIC IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY AND PATHWAYS ARE, UM, IN RESPONSE TO THAT LETTER THAT WE WROTE, UH, UH, NEXT WEEK.
AND JUST TO SHOWCASE THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT, UH, BELIEVE YOU ME, I'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF PHONE CALLS,
AND I LISTENED AND, AND, AND I WAS THERE AND I, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A HEALTHY DIALOGUE.
AND TWO HOURS LATER I HAD ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEMBER APPLAUD THE LETTER.
SO THERE IS TREMENDOUS DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT ON THIS.
AND, AND SO WE ARE HERE TO, AND I'M JUST USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE TO UPLIFT, YOU KNOW, THE HEALTHY DIALOGUE AND DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT AND THE LEARNING THAT WE CAN ALL DO WHEN WE HEAR AUTHENTICALLY HEAR EACH OTHER OUT AND PUT OURSELVES IN EACH OTHER'S, UH, UH, SHOES AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
OKAY? UH, I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU.
AND WITH THAT SAID, WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'LL DEFER TO THE CLERK IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW, OR DIAL STAR NINE IF CALLING IN.
UM, AND THEN WE DO HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS HERE IN PERSON.
UM, SO INSTEAD OF LINING UP CHAIR, WOULD YOU, UH, WANNA DO ROW BY ROW IN ORDER FOR THEM NOT TO HAVE TO LINE UP ALL AT ONCE? MAYBE WE CAN DO A SHOW OF HANDS.
UM, LET ME JUST SEE EYEBALL REAL QUICK, HOW LONG THIS LINE WILL TRANSPIRE.
WE CAN ALSO DO A SHOW OF HANDS AS WELL IF YOU INSTEAD OF LINING UP.
CAN YOU MOMENTARILY EVERYONE RAISE DOWN YOUR POSTER JUST MOMENTARILY? I'M JUST GONNA DO SOMETHING.
WE'RE MOMENTARILY RAISE DOWN THOSE POSTERS AND NOW SHOW OF HANDS OF ANYONE ELSE THAT'S PLANNING TO LINE UP SO I CAN KIND OF EYEBALL THIS.
ALL RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S GONNA BE A LONG LINE.
SO WE WILL DO ROW BY ROW THAT WAY I DON'T, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAND UP THE WHOLE TIME.
AND THEN, UM, HOW MANY FOLKS DO WE HAVE ON ZOOM? SO WE HAVE TWO HANDS RAISED IN THE ZOOM, SO IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN START IN THE ZOOM FIRST.
SO WE'LL DO, WE HAVE THREE IN THE ZOOM? THREE IN THE ZOOM? AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE PUBLIC IS COMFORTABLE LINING UP.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE LINING UP, THAT'S, I'M FINE IF YOU KNOW.
AND THEN, UM, SO ARE WE KEEPING IT WOOD LINING UP? YEAH, WE CAN KEEP IT.
OKAY, WE CAN KEEP IT, WE CAN KEEP IT.
I MEAN, THERE NO ONE'S SITTING DOWN, SO THAT'S OKAY.
UM, IF, AS LONG AS YOU'RE ALL OKAY, I'M OKAY.
I'M JUST VERY MINDFUL OF ALSO DISABILITIES AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT, THAT MAKE 'EM UP.
SO TECHNICALLY THREE MINUTES, UM, LEMME JUST EYEBALL THIS NINE 90 SECONDS.
I'M GONNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR 90.
I KNOW THAT, THAT SOME OF YOU ON THE SPOT, JUST LIKE OUR PRESENTERS WOULD JUST HAVE TO AMEND THAT.
UM, BUT TRUST, I HOPE THAT YOU TRUST WE ARE LISTENING.
UM, AND SO WE'LL, WE WILL SHORTEN IT TO 90 SECONDS.
THAT ALLOWS EVERYONE TO COME IN AND ALLOWS US TO ALSO RESPOND AND DO SOME IMPORTANT WORK UP HERE.
SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND START ON THE ZOOM AND THEN GO.
SO THE FIRST PERSON IN THE ZOOM TK, YOUR TIME STARTS NOW.
HI, MY NAME IS TK LAY AND I'M A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH DISTRICT THREE.
I SUPPORT THIS COMMISSION CEASEFIRE RECOMMENDATION.
IT SHOWS THAT OUR BELOVED CITY OF LONG BEACH DOES NOT CONDONE GENOCIDE.
OVER 20,000 PALESTINIANS HAVE DIED OVER HALF OF WHOM ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
THINK OF THE $6 MILLION WE AS A CITY SEND TO FUND ISRAEL'S MILITARY.
THINK OF WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT MONEY.
THINK OF HOW MUCH WE COULD EXPAND THE YOUTH STRATEGIC PLAN.
I'M THE CHILD OF REFUGEES FROM THE VIETNAM WAR, AND I KNOW WHAT ATROCITIES THE UNITED STATES IS CAPABLE OF COMMITTING.
I ALSO KNOW ONE REASON THE UNITED STATES ENDED THEIR DECADE OF BOMBARDMENT IN VIETNAM IS BECAUSE OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE IN THE US WHO SAW WHAT HORRIBLE MURDER THEIR GOVERNMENT WAS COMMITTING WITH THEIR TAX DOLLARS.
I LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED WAR TO END AND DID
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SOMETHING ABOUT IT.AND I LOOK AT THEM WITH GRATITUDE, BE PART OF A LEGACY THAT NOT ONLY CONDEMNS GENOCIDE, BUT ALSO DOES SOMETHING TO STOP IT PERMANENCY FIRE NOW, AND THEN END TO THE OCCUPATION FOREVER.
HI, MY NAME IS JOAQUIN BRAN AND I'M CALLING ON THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE AND TO DEMAND THAT CONGRESS MEMBER ROBERT GARCIA STOP PLAYING GAMES WITH THE LIVES OF PALESTINIANS.
AND SIGN ON TO CONGRESSWOMAN CORY BUSH'S CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION THAT WAS AUTHORED TWO MONTHS AGO.
IN TWO MONTHS, THE DEATH TOLL COUNTING FOR EVERYONE MISSING IS ESTIMATED TO BE WELL ABOVE 20,000 WITH HALF OF THOSE BEING CHILDREN, WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR HISTORY TO JUDGE THIS MOMENT.
WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THAT GENOCIDE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE WHO ARE INDIGENOUS TO PALESTINE IS EVIL.
WE KNOW THAT THE US PROVIDING THE FUNDS SUPPORT AND WEAPONS TO ISRAEL TO COMMIT THIS GENOCIDE AGAINST PALESTINIANS IS EVIL.
AND THE FACT THAT NEARLY 70% OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC SUPPORT A CEASES A WHILE, LESS THAN 10% OF CONGRESS HAVE ACTUALLY SIGNED ONTO THE CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION FOR A CEASEFIRE IS EVIDENT OF THE MASS CORRUPTION IN OUR INSTITUTIONS OF POWER.
YOU MUST STAND UP TODAY AND USE YOUR POSITIONS TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE AND DEMAND THAT OUR CURRENT CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING INSTEAD OF PUTTING OUT AMBIGUOUS PR STATEMENTS THAT RESULT IN CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE US BACKED ISRAELI GENOCIDE AGAINST PALESTINIANS AND THE OCCUPATION, FREE PALESTINE.
I COME HERE AS A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH AS AN IMMIGRANT, AS AN IMMIGRANT FROM CENTRAL AMERICA, AS SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS FIRSTHAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF US IMPERIALISM ABROAD.
THIS IS WHY STAND I STAND HERE IN SOLIDARITY WITH MY PALESTINIAN SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN SUPPORTING A CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE.
IT'S CALLED WHAT IF, WHAT IF YOU WERE EXPELLED FROM YOUR HOME, YOUR CROPS WERE BURNED, AND YOUR SPOUSE WAS KILLED BECAUSE OF BULLIES FELT ENTITLED TO YOUR PROPERTY, AND THEY HAD POWERFUL WEAPONS AND A POWERFUL UNCLE NAMED SAM.
WHAT IF YOUR CHILD GREW UP IN THE FIVE BY 25 MILE OUTDOOR PRISON WHERE YOU WERE SENT AFTER THE BULLIES AND THE UNCLE KICKED YOU OFF OF THEIR ANCESTRAL LANDS? WHAT IF YOU COULDN'T LEAVE OR RECEIVE VISITORS OR PROPER EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE AND THE WARDENS CONTROLLED YOUR FOOD, WATER, AND ELECTRICITY AND YOUR WINDOW TO THE OUTSIDE? WHAT IF YOUR GRANDCHILDREN GREW UP ORPHANS BECAUSE THE JAILERS TOOK AWAY YOUR CHILD AND HIS MOM AND TORTURED THEM AND BOMBED THEIR HOUSE WHERE THEY WERE IN IT? AND YOU TOO FOR THE CRIME OF TRYING TO LIVE FREE.
WHAT IF YOUR ORPHANED GRANDCHILDREN, LONG AFTER YOU WERE BURIED UNDER THE RUBBLE NEXT TO YOUR CHILD AND YOUR SPOUSE, UH, DECIDED THAT SOMETHING, ANYTHING WAS BETTER THAN JUST WANTING, WAITING TO DIE? WHAT IF YOUR GRANDCHILDREN INFLUENCED BY AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY PATRICK HENRY, WHO 248 YEARS AGO WROTE, I KNOW NOT WHAT COURSE OTHERS MAY TAKE, BUT AS FOR ME, GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH.
WHAT IF IT WAS ALL WISHFUL THINKING ON YOUR PART BECAUSE IT WASN'T YOU THAT DIED UNDER THE BUBBLE.
YOUR MAIN PURPOSES OF YOUR CHILD, WIFE, AND GRANDCHILDREN.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE ZOOM.
SO JUST WANNA REITERATE FOR THOSE IN PERSON, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.
WE CAN CAN GO AHEAD AND START WITH THE FIRST PERSON YOUR TIME STARTS NOW.
CHAIR LAURA AND THE COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR TAKING ON THIS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UH, I'M DEBORAH GOLDFARB, CEO OF JEWISH LONG BEACH AND THE OPERA JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE ON THE ISSUES OF ANTISEMITISM AND ISLAMOPHOBIA.
WE KNOW THAT BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE GROWING DRAMATICALLY AS WE SPEAK.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE MANY CONCERNS ABOUT THE STATEMENT THAT WAS ISSUED, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER AND MAKE THAT STATEMENT MORE INCLUSIVE.
UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ARE, UH, MANDATING EDUCATION FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY AROUND THE EXPERIENCE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE AS WELL AS NOT ONLY THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
WE OBJECT TO THE USE OF THE WORD WAR BETWEEN
[01:30:01]
PALESTINE AND ISRAEL BECAUSE OUR WAR IS NOT WITH PALESTINE.1.2 MILLION PALESTINIANS ARE CITIZENS OF ISRAEL.
WE ARE NOT AGAINST PALESTINE NEEDS.
WE WE ALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DONNA.
WE'RE WE ARE AGAINST THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.
HAMAS, UH, I SEE THAT MY TIME IS ALMOST UP.
WE HAVE OTHER OBJECTIONS ABOUT THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS USED.
WE DID SEND YOU A LETTER TODAY, SO YOU HAVE THAT, YOU CAN SEE OUR POSITION ON THAT.
BUT WE KNOW THIS IS A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE SITUATION.
YOUR TIME IS UP FOR EVERYONE IN THE MIDDLE.
I'M GONNA ASK FOR ORDER IN THE CHAMBERS.
BEFORE THE NEXT SPEAKER GOES UP, I JUST WANNA INTERJECT AND MY APOLOGIES BECAUSE I, I KNOW YOU'RE NEXT, BUT I JUST WANNA STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR SAKE.
I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE A RANGE OF COMMENTS THAT A RANGE OF FOLKS ARE NOT GONNA AGREE ON, BUT WE HOPEFULLY CAN AGREE ON PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO SPEAK AND LISTEN AND THEN OTHER PEOPLE SPEAK.
'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO WITHIN THESE CHAMBERS.
I'M A 14 YEAR RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH.
I'M A HOMEOWNER AND A BUSINESS OWNER HERE IN LONG BEACH, AS WELL AS AN ATTORNEY.
UM, AND I HAVE PREVIOUSLY REPRESENTED APPROXIMATELY A DOZEN DIFFERENT CITIES THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
UH, I HAVE LOOKED AT THE, UH, THE, THE ORDINANCE NUMBER 2136, WHICH SETS OUT THE SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THIS COMMISSION.
AND I OBJECT TO THE, THE TAKING ON AN ISSUE.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS, OF THIS COMMISSION IS TO CULTIVATE AND SUSTAIN EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION.
THOSE ARE THE PILLARS OF THIS, UH, COMMISSION WITHIN AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
BY TAKING MEASURABLE ACTIONS TO PROVIDE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY WITHIN THE CITY GOVERNMENT.
UH, TAKING A POSITION ABOUT A SOVEREIGN ENTITY, A SOVEREIGN LAND IN ISRAEL, I FEEL IS AN APPROPRIATE, UH, FOR THIS COMMISSION TO DO.
I HAVE READ THROUGH THE LANGUAGE.
I THINK THE SECOND PARAGRAPH IS APPROPRIATE.
I DO OBJECT TO THE LANGUAGE IN THE FIRST AND THE THIRD PARAGRAPHS.
UH, AS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THE CITY, IT FEELS LIKE THIS IS VERY ONE-SIDED IN THE WAY THAT IT'S WORDED.
I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE TO, TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE THE PAIN THROUGHOUT, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
WE, WE ARE, WE ARE NOT, UH, AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
RESPECTED MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
SARA ZDI, AND I COMMEND YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR CEASEFIRE.
UNLIKE OUR, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU ALL PUT POLITICS ASIDE, RISK, HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, AND BULLYING TO STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT WHILE STANDING AGAINST GENOCIDE.
AND APARTHEID SEEMS UNCOMPLICATED.
AND COMMONSENSICAL, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS WHO WANT CEASEFIRE AND OCCUPIED PALESTINE.
WHILE YOU ALL SHOWED URGENCY IN APPROVING THE RECOMMENDATIONS, OUR CITY LEADERSHIP HAS REFUSED TO ACT, HAS STOOD BY WHILE OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS ARE BEING COMPROMISED BY THEIR PEER, WHO HAS CONFLATED CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE WITH ANTI-SEMITISM, IN AN EFFORT TO DESTROY ACADEMIC FREEDOM BY CENSORING AND THREATENING THE LIVELIHOOD OF PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS IN OUR CAL STATE AND UC SYSTEM WHO SPEAK UP FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS, HOW DEHUMANIZING IT HAS FELT TO BEG OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO STAND UP FOR OUR HUMANITY, TO SPEAK UP, FOR US TO SIGNAL THAT OUR LIVES, PALESTINIANS, ARABS, MUSLIMS, BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE MATTER IN LONG BEACH.
WHILE THIS COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY USED ITS POWER AND PLATFORMS TO CALL FOR AN END TO THE VIOLENCE IN BLOODSHED, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND MANY PEOPLE HERE HAVE PLEDGED FULL SUPPORT TO A COUNTRY WHERE THERE ARE SEPARATE STREETS DESIGNATED FOR PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS.
A SCENARIO STRAIGHT OUT OF THE JIM CROW SOUTH, A COUNTRY WHERE WHOSE SAFETY IS DEPENDENT ON UPHOLDING APARTHEID.
WE LIVE WHEN OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO BELIEVE THAT COMMISSIONER TIME, TIME IS UP.
[01:35:02]
PLEASE.UH, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM.
NOW, AS A JEW LIVING IN LONG BEACH, I CONDEMN THE HAMAS TERRORIST ATTACK ON OCTOBER 7TH ON ISRAEL.
1200 OF MY FELLOW JEWS WERE KILLED IN 240.
TAKEN HOSTAGE, HAMA NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM POLITICAL INFLUENCE AND THE HOSTAGES NEED TO BE RETURNED TO THEIR FAMILIES.
HOWEVER, I OPPOSE COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT OF THE GAZA PEOPLE FOR THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF HAMAS DENYING WATER, FOOD, MEDICINE, ELECTRICITY TO GAZI AND CIVILIANS, IN MY MIND IS COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT.
THE DEATHS OF 15,000 OF GAZEN, 70% OF WHOM IS ESTIMATED FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN IS ALARMING.
ON NOVEMBER 20TH, UNITED NATION SECRETARY GENERAL ATTORNEY GTE GUTIERREZ DESCRIBED THE KILLING OF CIVILIANS THERE AS UNPARALLELED AND UNPRECEDENTED, ANY CONFLICT OF HIS TENURE? I DO NOT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING IN THE WRITTEN RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
SIMILAR TO WHAT DEBORAH GOLDFARB JUST SAID, AND WISH SOME COMMENTS WERE REMOVED AND EDITED, SOME SEEM INFLAMMATORY, BUT I AGREE WITH PRINCIPLE PRE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE PARAGRAPH STAND AGAINST ANTISEMITISM AND ISLAMOPHOBIA.
I SPECIFICALLY SUPPORT THE MOST CONS RECOMMENDATION OF CEASEFIRE.
68% OF US PUBLIC RESPONDENTS, UH, IN A POLL, SAID THEY AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT ISRAEL SHOULD CALL A CEASEFIRE AND TRY TO NEGOTIATE.
I WOULD ASK TO REMOVE EDITOR CHANGE PARTS OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WITH INPUT FROM THE JEWISH AND ISLAMIC COMMUNITY.
BUT LEAVE TIME RECOMMENDATIONS.
IN THE PARAGRAPH, STAND AGAINST ANY SAYS AND CEASEFIRE.
ONE MONTH AGO, WE ALREADY HAVE THE LEDGE BY MELISSA.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT S SLOW US DOWN.
I FEEL LIKE THIS HAS BEEN IN BBU FOR ISRAEL TO FINISH THE DAILY JOB IN PALESTINE AND IN GAZA.
ALL WE NEED TO ADD ONE SEGMENT TO THE LETTER TO SAVE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTER CIVILIAN IN ISRAEL.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO ADD IT, ADD THE PLEASE.
AND WE ASKING AS IN MUSLIM COMMUNITY TO ADD IT, TO RELEASE THE HOSTAGE FROM BOTH SIDES.
WHY NOT? BUT WHY THAT TIME? WHY GUYS CARRY THIS TIME.
THE THE WAR MACHINE IS NOT STOPPED.
IT'S EVERY DAY SOME SOUL IS GOING UP, CHILDREN BEING KILLED, AND WE NEED TO REACT.
OTHERWISE, THE THE HISTORY'S NEVER GONNA HAVE A MERCY.
YOUR HAND IS GONNA HAVE A BLOOD IN THIS CHILDREN.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU GOING TO CARRY THIS GUILT FOREVER.
AND I UNDERSTAND FREE, FREE, UM, PEOPLE LIKE YOU.
WE CANNOT MAKE A FREE DECISION.
I DON'T THINK IT'S VERY HARD TO ASK FOR A CEASEFIRE.
UM, IT'S REALLY HARD TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD WITH SO MUCH WAR AND SO MUCH INJUSTICE.
AND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE WATCHING RIGHT NOW IS LIKE THE HUNGER GAMES OR SOME MOVIE PEOPLE ARE THINKING IT'S A MOVIE THAT THIS IS NOT REAL.
AND THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE DYING AND NOW THEY'RE JUST BEING BOMBED EVERYWHERE.
SO IT SEES FIRE IS NOT SOMETHING SO HARD TO ASK FOR.
IT'S NOT JUST, IT'S NOT ABOUT ISRAELIS.
IT'S ABOUT JUST PEACE FOR EVERYONE.
AND WE CAN'T JUST LIVE IN THIS WORLD.
I DON'T WANT MY CHILDREN TO GROW UP LIKE THIS.
MY MY OLDEST DAUGHTER LOST HER BEST FRIEND TODAY BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE.
THERE'S NO RECOGNITION OF THE PALESTINIAN FLIGHT OF FLIGHT.
WE HAVE, I MEAN, OUR GOVERNMENT, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU, BUT THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS GIVEN THAT LEEWAY AS FAR AS ISRAEL IS CONCERNED.
AND THE PALESTINIAN VOICES HAVE BEEN MUFFLED.
AND WE HAVE WRONGED OURSELVES BY NOT SPEAKING OUT EVEN MORE.
SO WHEN YOU PUT OUT, I WANT TO, TO KEEP THE LANGUAGE BECAUSE EVERYBODY WILL BE PROTECTED THAT WAY.
UM, I AM LULU HAMAD, FOUNDER OF VLA INDIVISIBLE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, THE WORK THAT YOU'VE,
[01:40:01]
UH, BEEN DOING ON IN THIS REGARD.AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
UH, FOR SIMPLE REASONS, TO BE HONEST, BECAUSE, UH, GENOCIDE HAS NO TWO SIDES.
YOU'RE EITHER WITH GENOCIDE AND YOU ARE WITH WAR CRIMINALS OR WITH THE VICTIM, AND YOU'RE OPPOSING, AND YOU THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WHEN YOU HAVE A GENOCIDE IS A CEASEFIRE.
AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I, I REALLY CAN'T SEE WHY A, A CEASEFIRE IS THIS CONTROVERSIAL.
IT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS CONTROVERSIAL.
AND I'M GONNA, I'M ALSO HERE TO TELL YOU ONE MORE THING, THAT A CEASEFIRE IS NOT JUST TO PROTECT THE PALESTINIANS IN GAZA OR THE WEST BANK OR, OR THE REST OF PALESTINE.
A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION AT THE CITY LEVEL WILL PROVIDE ME AS A PALESTINIAN, AS A MUSLIM, AS AN ARAB, WITH THE PROTECTION THAT I NOW DESPERATELY NEED.
IF YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT HISHAM AAN AND HIS COLLEAGUES IN VERMONT, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THE GUYS WHO GOT KILLED, WHO GOT SHOT BECAUSE THEY'RE WEARING A KAFI LIKE THE ONE I'M WEARING.
AND BECAUSE THEY'RE SPEAKING ARABIC.
AND I SPEAK ARABIC EVERY DAY AND I TEACH MY DAUGHTER TO SPEAK ARABIC AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.
I DON'T WANT HER TO BE STABBED 26 TIMES LIKE WIR, THE 6-YEAR-OLD WHO WAS STABBED BY HIS OWN LANDLORD WHO CAME TIME IN.
IS THAT THINKING THAT HE WILL PLAY WITH HIM.
MY NAME IS ALEJANDRO SANCHEZ LOPEZ.
I'M A CITY OF LONG BEACH EMPLOYEE, BUT I'M HERE AS A RESIDENT FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE LAST DECADE.
I HAVE WORKED AT THE CITY PLANNER AND PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN VARIOUS COMMISSIONS TO ADDRESS LONG BEACH'S HOUSING CRISIS, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND OTHER CRITICAL ISSUES WE FACE.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER GIVING PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AN ITEM BECAUSE GENOCIDE SHOULD BE A LIGHT IN THE SAND FOR ALL OF US.
IT IS A COLLECTIVE FAILURE ON OUR BEHALF TO HIDE BEHIND A BIO OF SUPPOSED COMPLEXITY, TO WAVE AWAY THE CHARGE OF GENOCIDE.
EVEN AS ISRAELI HOLOCAUST SCHOLARS AND SURVIVORS JOIN THE COUNTLESS ORGANIZATIONS AND JEWISH LEADERS IN NAMING THIS MASSACRE.
AS SUCH, WE FAILED IN IGNORING THE PLEAS OF ISRAELI HOSTAGES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THE ALLEGED JUSTIFICATION FOR THE BOMBARDMENT AND THEIR DEMAND FIRST STARTED IN OCTOBER AND REPEATED YESTERDAY WITH MEETING WITH NETANYAHU OF EVERYONE, FOR EVERYONE TO PRIORITIZE AN IMMEDIATE SWAP OF ALL ISRAELI HOSTAGES FOR ALL PALESTINIAN PRISONERS UNDER WHAT SHOULD BE A UNIVERSAL RECOGNITION THAT NO LIFE IS WORTH MORE THAN ANOTHER.
WE FAILED IGNORING OUR OWN LOCAL TAX TO GENOCIDE.
WHEN WE BRAG ABOUT HAVING THE LARGEST CAMBODIAN POPULATION OUTSIDE OF CAMBODIA WHILE LEAVING OUT THE SAID EXODUS AND THE RISE OF THE KAH ROUGE.
WITH THE RESULT OF THE US SECRETLY CARPET BUMPING THE COUNTRY AND KILLING 250,000 CAMBODIANS OVER AN EIGHT YEAR PERIOD.
WE WILL ULTIMATELY FAIL OUR OWN COMMUNITIES AND OUR YOUTH IF WE DO NOT HONOR LIFE ELSEWHERE.
BECAUSE EVENTUALLY WE'LL STOP HONORING IT.
HERE WE HAVE FAILED OVER 20,000 PALESTINIAN MARTYRS FOR WHOM IT IS TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING BUT MORE.
AND REMEMBER, WE CANNOT FAIL ANYMORE.
WE MUST FIND THE COURAGE TO FIGHT FOR THE LIVING.
WE MUST JOIN THE DOZENS OF CITIES AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE NATIONALLY TO DEMAND TO CEASE FIRE IN OUR AND FULL SOVEREIGN YOU.
AND I'LL REMIND THE COMMISSION THAT THE FOUNDATION OF LIFE, THE FOUNDATION OF SOCIETY IS THE COMMITMENT TO PROTECT ALL LIFE DIALOGUE.
HI, I'M I'M MARSHALL KOSOFSKY AND I LIVE IN THE SECOND DISTRICT.
UM, AND I SUPPORT THE WORK OF THIS, UH, COMMISSION.
I THINK THAT YOU GUYS ARE VERY BRAVE TO TAKE ON AN ISSUE THAT IS A POLITICAL AND SOCIAL AND WORLD ISSUE.
AND I THINK, UH, I THINK THAT THE HOSTAGES ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THERE SHOULD BE SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE ABOUT THE HOSTAGES AND THE PALESTINIAN HOSTAGES THAT ARE ALSO ON ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION IN THE ISRAELI JAILS.
SO, I DUNNO, WE COULD GO INTO WHETHER THIS IS GENOCIDE OR NOT, EITHER.
I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THIS IS, THIS IS COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT AND GENOCIDE AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
AND, AND I THINK TAKING THIS ISSUE UP, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS GET THIS.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THAT ROBERT GARCIA HAS SAID THAT ISRAELI LIVES AND PALESTINIAN LIVES ARE THE SAME.
AND THAT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE HAVE TO GET HIM TO CALL FOR SEATS BUYER.
WE ALSO HAVE TO DEFUND, DEFUND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THE US IS GIVING TO ISRAEL.
AND THE LAST THING I WANT SAY IS NANETTE BARRAGAN HAS SAID NOTHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND SHE ACTUALLY IS, REPRESENTS LONG BEACH.
SO THE, YOU'VE GOT TO GET COUNCIL
[01:45:01]
DIRECT TOWARD DAN BARGON.UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR FIRST OFF, UH, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS LETTER.
UM, I'VE GROWN UP ALL OF MY LIFE BEING PALESTINIANS.
SO I HAVE THE FORTUNATE AND UNFORTUNATE OPPORTUNITY TO WANT TO SEEK TRUTH IN ALL THIS.
TO WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IT THAT I BELIEVE AND STAND FOR.
I IMAGINE YOU ALL FEEL THE SAME AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I WILL QUOTE NORMAN FINKELSTEIN, A JEWISH PROMINENT DECADES LONG ACADEMIC SCHOLAR IN THE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN CONFLICT.
IT IS MY CONCLUSION AT THE END OF MY RESEARCH THAT THE CASE THAT ISRAEL MAKES FOR ITS CRIMES ARE IN LARGE PART FABRICATIONS, MISREPRESENTATIONS, AND DISTORTIONS.
AND THE PALESTINIAN CASE IS STRONGLY SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE FROM SOURCES WITH CREDIBILITY, NAMELY THE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL BES, AND THE UNITED NATIONS.
NOW, I OFTEN IMAGINE MYSELF ON MY DEATHBED, TAKING MY LAST BREATH, ASKING MYSELF WHO I WAS IN MY LIFETIME.
SO I ASK THAT YOU ENVISION THIS MOMENT IN YOUR LIFETIME FOR YOURSELF RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE FOR SOME LIKE THOSE IN GAZA, IT IS RIGHT NOW.
AND TO ASK YOURSELF, WHO DO I WANT TO BE? WHAT LEGACY WILL I LEAVE BEHIND CEASEFIRE? NOW EVERYBODY, MY NAME'S JOSH DE AND HI AGAIN.
UM, OBVIOUSLY I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
I HAVE REALLY ONE POINT, UH, THAT I WANTED YOU TO TAKE AWAY WITH.
UM, AND IT'S TO DISPEL ONE OF THE NARRATIVES I'VE HEARD OUTSIDE OF THESE CHAMBERS, UM, IN OPPOSITION TO THIS.
AND I'VE HEARD THIS EVEN FROM CITY COUNCIL.
AND IT'S THE IDEA THAT LONG BEACH IS THE WRONG VENUE TO PASS THE THAT'S WRONG.
AND LEMME PROVE YOU WHY I BROUGHT RECEIPTS.
LONG BEACH HAS A HISTORY OF SIGNING RESOLUTIONS ABOUT ISSUES OUTSIDE OF OUR BORDERS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
IN 2005, WE DID A RESOLUTION CALLED C 2 8 5 1 2.
I DID A LOT OF GOOGLING ALL C 2 8, 5 1 2, UM, TO RATIFY A TREATY ON MARINE POLLUTION INTERNATIONALLY.
2006, RESOLUTION 0 6 0 1 2 3 IN SUPPORT OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY OF THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
IN 2009, RESOLUTION 9 0 0 6 2, CALLING FOR THE END OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, WHICH LONG BEACH TOTALLY CAN DO, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
THAT'S HOW WE, THAT'S HOW WE WORK.
2010 SUPPORT THE GMAC FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL, 2015 SUPPORTING FIRST RESPONDERS IN NEW YORK, UM, FOR, UH, WHICH IS ANOTHER STATE.
SO WE'VE GOT CASES OF FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND INTERNATIONALLY OUTSIDE OF LONG BEACH THAT, UH, WE'VE PASSED RESOLUTIONS FOR.
AND MOST RECENTLY, IN 2019, ALMOST ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OUR CURRENT FORMER MAYOR CURRENT, UH, REPRESENTATIVE, UM, PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT CALLED FOR A TRAVEL BAN FROM LONG BEACH TO, UH, GEORGIA OR TO, UH, ALABAMA AND STATES THAT WERE BANNING ABORTION.
IF WE'RE WILLING TO MAKE THOSE STEPS AS A CITY ON THINGS OUTSIDE OF OUR BORDERS, WE CAN DO THIS.
MY NAME'S ANTHONY BRYSON FROM THE FIRST DISTRICT.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'M A CHRISTIAN.
I'M AN A ME AND THAT STANDS FOR AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPALIAN.
IT WAS STARTED BY A FORMER SLAVE NAMED RICHARD ALLEN.
AND THAT'S WHAT DRIVES ME TO THESE FIGHTS AND THESE CAUSES BECAUSE I AM A REPRESENTATION AS A BLACK GAY MAN HERE IN LONG BEACH OF THE UNSPOKEN, THE VOICELESS, AND THE DISENFRANCHISED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
PALESTINE REMAINS A DISENFRANCHISED COMMUNITY, COUNTRY AND NATION.
IT IS OUR OBLIGATION TO SPEAK FOR THEM IN THE OPEN DOORWAYS FOR THEM IN THE COMMUNITY HERE TODAY.
IF WE STAND UP AS LONG BEACH UNITED AND SAY WE BELIEVE IN A SAFE LONG BEACH, WE BELIEVE IN NO MORE KILLING OF YOUTH AND CHILDREN WHO HAVE NO AFFILIATION WITH HAMAS OTHER THAN THEY LIVE IN THE SAME AREA, THEN WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
WE'RE TAKING THE RIGHT STEPS TOWARDS CREATING A MORE LIBERAL, UM, EXCUSE ME, A MORE LI A SOCIETY OF LIBERTY AND A SOCIETY OF FREEDOM.
YOU KNOW, I AM THE PRODUCT OF ACTIVISTS WHO CAME OUT AND WENT OUT IN THE STREETS, AND I DON'T WANNA WAIT DECADES TO SEE THE RIGHT THING DONE.
AND LET'S SEE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF OUR EFFORTS.
IF LONG BEACH DOES IT, OTHER CITIES WILL FOLLOW.
WE CONTRIBUTE TO MOST OF THE STATE'S WEALTH.
IF LONG BEACH DOES IT, MOST OF THE CITIES AND STATES WILL FOLLOW.
LET'S GIVE A VOICE TO THE VOICELESS.
[01:50:02]
COMMISSIONERS.THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I AM HERE, UH, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THIS LETTER.
UM, I AM CONCERNED BY SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT IS USED IN THERE THAT CAPTURES, UH, BUZZWORDS AND CODE WORDS THAT ARE USED AGAINST THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
AND WOULD CAUTION THE COMMISSION THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A STATEMENT, IT SHOULD BE CLEAR AND IT SHOULD BE CONCISE.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE ARE HERE, UH, SPEAKING ABOUT, UH, THE IDEA OF THE, THE REALITY OF GENOCIDE.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE STATEMENT FALLS SHORT.
HAMAS EXISTS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE TO COMMIT GENOCIDE AGAINST ISRAEL.
IT'S STATED GOAL IS TO DESTROY AND, UH, OBLITERATE THE JEWISH STATE AND ANY JEWS THEREIN.
THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF GENOCIDE.
THEY ARE CALLING FOR GENOCIDE OF ISRAEL AND THE ISRAELI PEOPLE.
THIS IS PART OF THEIR DOCUMENT.
AND SO AS CEASEFIRE IS NOT ENOUGH, BECAUSE WE WILL BE HERE AGAIN, AS WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION BEFORE WHEN HAMAS HAS LAUNCHED THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF MISSILES INTO ISRAEL.
SO WE WILL BE HERE AGAIN, UNLESS HAMAS IS DEMILITARIZED OR BANNED.
THAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS STATEMENT AS WELL.
IF YOU WISH TO HAVE BALANCE, IF THE COMMISSION IS NOT INTERESTED IN BALANCE, THEN GO AHEAD.
BUT IMAGINE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO HAVE AN ORGANIZATION SAYING TO YOUR FACE, I WANT TO KILL YOU.
THIS IS WHAT HAMAS SAYS TO ME.
I JUST WANNA REMIND FOLKS OF OUR COMMUNITY VALUES.
UM, AND I ALSO WANNA REMIND FOLKS THAT THE END OF THE SPEAKING PROCESS, THERE IS WORK THAT US AS COMMISSIONERS WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN RESPONSE TO WHAT WE HEAR.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE RUNNING UP AGAINST THE CLOCK HERE, RIGHT? UM, IN THE EVENT THAT COMMENTS ARE MADE THAT, UH, DUPLICATE WHAT YOU PLAN TO MAKE, UM, MAYBE IN, IN THE MOMENT, CONSIDER TAKING A A, A STEP BACK AS NOT FOR PRO.
I SWEAR TO YOU, IT'S NOT JUST SILENCE ANYONE.
SO WE CAN ARRIVE AT THE WORKING PROCESS IN RESPONSE TO WHAT WE'RE HEARING.
SO, SO I, I JUST WANNA OFFER THAT, THAT RECOMMENDATION.
OKAY? WE ARE COMMITTED TO STAYING HERE BEYOND EIGHT 30, BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH I CAN PUT UP, BUT WE'LL STAY AFTERWARDS.
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW LONG WE CAN PUSH IT BASED ON SCHEDULES THAT I'M NOT COMPLETELY AWARE OF.
SO, SO JUST LETTING EVERYONE KNOW, BUT PLEASE LET EVERYONE SPEAK AND THEN WE WILL AT THE END HAVE OUR MOMENT AS COMMISSIONERS TO FIGURE SOME THINGS OUT.
HI, CAN I START? HI, MY NAME IS, UH, MA CHABE.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
I'M A FIRST GENERATION MUSLIM AMERICAN AND A PROUD LONG BEACH RESIDENT.
AND I USED TO TALK ABOUT HOW LUCKY I WAS TO BE THE ONLY ONE IN MY FAMILY BORN IN THIS COUNTRY.
I WAS A PROUD AMERICAN FOR MANY YEARS, BUT SADLY, THAT TIME HAS COME TO AN END.
NOW, WHEN I LOOK AT MY CITIZENSHIP, I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL THE BLOOD DRIPPING BETWEEN MY FINGERS.
FROM A YOUNG AGE, I UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THE MASSACRE OF NATIVE AMERICANS, THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE, AND MILLIONS OTHERS IN THE ARAB WORLD AND SOUTH AMERICA.
BUT I WAS NAIVE TO THINK THAT THIS TIME WAS BEFORE MY GENERATIONS AND THINGS WILL GET BETTER.
THE DUTIES OF ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE TO REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE CALLING OFF WORK EVERY WEEK IN THIS CRISIS OF AN ECONOMY TO HELP YOU GUYS DO YOUR JOB.
THE OTHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IS WHAT I MEAN.
UH, BUT SADLY, THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS HAVE WORKED OUT.
AND THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE I AND EVERYONE BEHIND ME WILL DO WHATEVER THEY CAN IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT LONG BEACH IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.
DO YOU EVEN SEE MY PRIVILEGE RIGHT NOW? I'M OVER HERE COMPLAINING, TALKING TO YOU GUYS WHILE THERE'S HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN LOSING LIMBS IN THE MOST INHUMANE WAYS POSSIBLE.
OKAY? UM, IT IS IMPORTANT TIME FOR US ACTUALLY TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN ZIONISM AND JEWS.
JEWS ARE MY BROTHERS AND I WOULD HAPPILY GO TO WAR FOR THEM AS THEY HAVE BEEN DOING FOR US.
BUT ZIONISM IS THE TRUE DEVIL.
ZIONISM GOES HAND IN HAND WITH FASCISM AND COLONIALISM.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO TAKE A POSITION AGAINST APAC AND YOUR INVESTORS, BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT.
I'VE BEEN FIGHTING BACK MY TEARS FOR MONTHS, BUT THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME.
THE FIRST STEP OF REMOVING THE EVIL IS TO CALL IT WHAT IT IS.
LONG BEACH TOOK A STAND ON UP.
ALL RIGHT, MY NAME IS VIDI AND I'LL BE, I DON'T KNOW.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE IS NOT TO CHANGE DICTION, UH, CHANGE THE CONNOTATION OF A WORD BECAUSE THE WORDS ARE CHOSEN FACTUALLY.
BUT WORD THAT WE CHOSE IN THE CEASEFIRE ARE FACTUALLY CORRECT.
UM, HOW PRIVILEGED IS IT TO BE ABLE TO SIMPLY LOOK AWAY AND CHANGE HARSH WORDS? BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY OR FACE THE HARSH
[01:55:01]
TRUTH.THAT THERE IS A GENOCIDE AT THE END.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE IS A MEANING BEHIND WORDS AND TO SIMPLY CHANGE A WORD BECAUSE IT'S NOT TOO LOADED AND IT'S TOO NEGATIVE.
IT'S TOO LOADED AND TOO NEGATIVELY TIED TO SOMETHING ELSE LIKE THE HOLOCAUST OR JUST COLONIZATION.
THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND DICTION IS NOT THAT WORDS ARE PURPOSELY CHOSEN BECAUSE OF THE MEANING HELD.
UM, THE REASON FOR CHANGING THESE WORDS IS TO SOFTEN THE ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND SO THAT, HEY, IT'S NOT A GENOCIDE, IT'S DEFENSE AND WAR AND ALL SWEAR IN LOVE AND WAR, RIGHT? BUT THIS IS A WAR.
THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A CHILD FIGHTING GOD.
THEY CAN'T DO THIS BY THEMSELVES.
THEY CAN'T PROTECT THEMSELVES.
THEY'RE BARELY EVEN ABLE TO FUNCTION.
IT'S BARELY A F*****G GOVERNMENT, I'M SORRY, GOT CUSSED.
UH, BUT WE ALL KNEW THAT A COUNTRY BUILT UPON FOUNDATION OF COLONIZATION WILL NOT RETALIATE BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT THEY, WE WILL, WE OURSELVES HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY AS WELL.
YOU AS MUCH AS US ARE OUR PEOPLE.
AND HONESTLY, I HOPE TO GOD THAT YOU GUYS DO THE RIGHT THING.
UH, SLEEP UP, SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT, PICK PEOPLE BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU DECIDED TO REPRESENT US.
I'M A SYRIAN AMERICAN, BORN AND RAISED IN ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA.
AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE CEASEFIRE.
I WANTED TO TELL YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT.
IF YOU CAN, UH, IF YOU HAVE SOME TIME, YOU CAN WATCH IT ON NETFLIX.
THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT, UM, GOES INTO GRAVE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT KIND OF MONSTROSITY CAN COME FROM SUBJUGATING ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE FOR 75 YEARS, OR IN THAT CASE, IT WAS ONLY TWO WEEKS IN STANFORD.
AND THE MONSTROSITY THAT CAME OUT OF THAT EXPERIMENT WAS SO DISGUSTING THAT THAT RESEARCHERS MADE A FULL FILM ABOUT IT.
AND YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS NEED TO WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY 'CAUSE THIS, THIS DOCUMENTARY WILL SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PALESTINE.
BUT I'LL TAKE OUT A STEP BACK AND I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PALESTINE, THEY DRIVE SEPARATE, SEPARATE ROADS.
THEY HAVE SEPARATE IDENTIFICATION.
BEFORE HAMAS WAS CREATED IN 1987, IT WAS A GENOCIDE.
TODAY, AFTER HAMAS WAS CREATED, AN OCCUPIED PEOPLE UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW HAS A RIGHT TO RESIST THEIR OCCUPIER.
AN OCCUPIED PEOPLE UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW HAS THE RIGHT TO RESIST THEIR OCCUPIER.
A TERRORIST IS THE COUNTRY THAT IS CURRENTLY INFLICTING AN APOCALYPSE IN ZA.
PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM LONG.
I WAS BORN IN MEXICO CITY, BUT I CURRENTLY LIVE IN LONG BEACH.
I HAVE EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION IN SINCE I ARRIVED IN THIS COUNTRY.
ALL MEXICANS RECOGNIZE THE STRATEGY, THE STRATEGY OF THE QUEST 500 YEARS AGO.
AND TO THIS DAY, WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND TRADITIONS.
THE TERM OR WORD INDIAN IS JUST, IS USED AS AN INSULT BY MEXICANS.
THIS IS WHY WHEN I SEE THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, THAT THESE ISRAELI LIGHTS ARE COMMITTED AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS.
I FEEL A DEEP PAIN AND SORE INSIDE MY SOUL.
THIS KIND OF PAIN KNOWS NO BORDERS, BUT IT DOES RECOGNIZE THE HUMANITY OF EACH HUMAN BEING, BEING WHERE WITNESSING A NEW GENOCIDE, JUST LIKE MY ANCESTORS EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST, THEY CAUGHT OUR ROOTS AND LEFT US INSIDE A LABYRINTH OF SOLITUDE.
THEY CAUGHT OUR ROOTS TO OUR LAND AND LEFT US LIVING IN A FOREIGN WORLD.
[02:00:01]
GAINED FREEDOM, WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT IMPERIALISM.NOW IMAGINE IF YOU'RE WITNESSING THIS GENOCIDE OF, OF ALMOST 90% OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF THIS CONTINENT, WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT THEN? I WOULD.
WE'RE CURRENTLY WITNESSING A NEW GENOCIDE, A NEW CONQUEST.
WE MUST DO SOMETHING AND FIGHT AGAINST THE POWERS OF VALUE, RICHES, AND DEATH.
AND WE MUST CONTINUE SUPPORTING THOSE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF JUSTICE AND HUMANITY.
I SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION IN THE WAY THAT IT IS WRITTEN.
UM, I WANT TO, UH, POINT OUT THE CORE PROBLEM IN OUR, UH, IN OUR COUNTRY.
THIS IS SUPPORTED BY THE CAMPAIGN FUNDING OF APAC AND ALL THE BIG CORPORATIONS.
WHEN OUR PEOPLE GET ELECTED, THEY ARE SUPPORTED BY THAT.
WHEN ONCE THEY'RE ELECTED, THEY FORGET ABOUT THEIR PEOPLE AND THEY, THEY BECOME THE REPRESENTATIVE OF APEC.
AND BECAUSE I, I WROTE TO ALEX PADILLA, SENATOR AND I WROTE HIM, UH, THAT THIS IS, THIS IS WRONG.
UH, DON'T, DON'T VOTE FOR, UH, THIS, UH, 14, $8.8 BILLION FOR ISRAEL.
UH, HAMAS DID, LET'S COMPARE HAMAS.
HAMAS KILLED, UH, UH, A HUNDRED, UH, 1000 ISRAELIS AFTER 75 YEARS OF BEING PAID IN A, IN A 20 MILE BY, UH, UH, FOUR MILE, UH, AREA, UH, 2.4 MILLION PEOPLE.
THEY, THEY WERE, AND THEY HAD ONLY GUNS.
THEY, AND THEY HAD GERMAN ROCKETS, WHICH ARE NO, WHICH ARE NO MATCH FOR THE PRECISION OF THE, UH, OUR US DOLLARS, $348 BILLION THAT WE HAVE SUPPORTED, UM, UM, UH, UH, TO ISRAEL.
AND THAT, THAT THAT'S HAS SEA TERRORIST.
AND US, US IS PART OF THAT TERRORISM.
NORM CHOKY CALLS, UH, US IS THE BIGGEST TERRORIST STATE IN THE WORLD.
SO, AND THEY'RE YOUR TIME IS UP.
IS THERE THEY'RE STOPPING ALL THE MEDIA HERE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE TALKING, TALKING.
I JUST WANNA REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT I HAVE TO BE EQUITABLE WITH TIME.
AND SO WHEN TIME IS UP, I I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO CALL IT.
SO JUST PLEASE BE MINDFUL AND RESPECTFUL OF THE TIME LIMITATIONS SO WE CAN BE EQUITABLE WITH EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS MARLENE ALDO AGAIN, AND I'M FROM, UH, DISTRICT ONE.
AND, UH, I HAVE STUDIED, UH, THE GENOCIDE OF THE JEWS.
I'VE ALSO STUDIED AND HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT AND TALKED TO PSYCHOLOGISTS ABOUT POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I I SEE IN GAZA IS THE RESULT OF THE WARSAW GHETTO.
IS THE, IS THE PALESTINIAN WARSAW GHETTO.
IT IS THE HORRIBLE GENOCIDE THAT THE JEWS HAD EXPERIENCED.
THEY, IT WAS SO TERRIBLE, THEY HAD TO LEAVE THIS AREA.
AND THEY WENT TO PALESTINE BELIEVING IN THIS MESSIANIC BELIEF THAT HERE THEY COULD FIND A HOMELAND.
BUT, BUT THEY ENDED UP BY IDENTIFYING WITH THE OPPRESSOR, THEY ENDED UP DOING THE SAME THING THAT THE OPPRESSOR DID TO THEM.
THEY WENT AND THEY CREATED A GHETTO NOW IN GAZA WHERE THEY ARE ACTUALLY REPLICATING WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THEM.
AND THEY CAN'T SEE THE FACT THAT, THAT AS MANY HAAGE PEOPLE, THEY TRIED TO KILL THEIR, THEY'RE MORE AND MORE OF THESE PE OF HAMAS IS GOING TO REGENERATE.
BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU KILL SOMEBODY, THEY WILL END UP CREATING MORE MARTYRS, CREATING MORE HAMAS MEMBERS.
SO WE HAVE TO TIME, TIME BE YOUR TIME IS UP NOW.
I RESPECT THAT EVERYONE HERE IS HERE TO DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN WITH WHAT THEY'VE GOT TO DO.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT, UH, THERE'S ONLY ABOUT 4% OF THE POPULATION THAT WAS INDIGENOUS JEWISH PRIOR TO ABOUT 1890.
FROM THEN UNTIL 1950, IT WAS ZIONISTS FROM EUROPE THAT CAME AND THEY USED TERRORISM TO INCREASE THEIR NUMBERS TO ABOUT 20%.
IT WAS ERGO IT WAS THE STERN GANG AND IT WAS HANA.
AND THEY REFORMED TO BECOME TODAY'S POLITICAL PARTY IN ISRAEL.
OKAY? THEY USE TERRORISM INSTITUTIONALLY.
WHY DO WE NOT CALL IT AS SUCH? BECAUSE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE APAC PAY ABOUT 70% OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU ARE PLANNING ON GOING
[02:05:01]
TO POLITICS.HEY, IF THEY GIVE YOU 20% FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN, THAT MEANS YOU ARE IN THEIR POCKET.
IF YOU DO NOT DO WHAT THEY SAY, THEY WILL FUND YOUR OPPONENT.
SO NOW HERE TODAY IN LONG BEACH, YOU CAN DECIDE, VOTE YOUR CONSCIOUS.
AS FOR WHY THIS MATTERS TO LONG BEACH, $100 OF EVERY SINGLE TAXPAYER IN AMERICA PER YEAR GOES TO ISRAEL.
WHAT COULD THAT DO IN AMERICA? WHAT COULD THAT DO TO LONG BEACH? ISRAEL TRAINS OUR POLICE.
ISRAEL TRAINS THEIR POLICE TO EXTRA JUDICIALLY MURDER PALESTINIANS, ONE PER DAY BEFORE OCTOBER 7TH, 10,000 IN 20 YEARS BEFORE OCTOBER 7TH.
SO DON'T START THIS ON OCTOBER 7TH.
OKAY, CEASEFIRE, I'VE SEEN CEASEFIRES BEFORE.
50% OF THE COUNTRY SUPPORTS MORE THAN JUST CEASEFIRE.
THE OCCUPATION, IT'S TAKING THIS FIRST TIME IS, THANK YOU.
HI, MY NAME IS DELAL AND I AM IN SUPPORT OF A CEASEFIRE AND GAZA.
AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IS NECESSARY TO END THE DAILY MASSACRES OF PALESTINIANS AND THE FURTHER DESTRUCTION OF CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, AND MOSQUES.
AND I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, AS OTHERS HAVE THAT THIS DID NOT START ON OCTOBER 7TH.
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER 75 YEARS.
IT HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT RELIGION.
YOU CANNOT COMPARE THE OCCUPIER WITH THE OCCUPIED, AND YOU CANNOT COMPARE THE COLONIZER WITH THE COLONIZED.
THE PALESTINIANS LIVING IN ISRAEL, BY THE WAY, THE 1 MILLION, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT THEY LIVE UNDER SEPARATE RULES.
THEY'RE TREATED AS SECOND CLASS PEOPLE.
THEY HAVE SEPARATE ROADS, SEPARATE LICENSES.
THEY CAN'T WALK DOWN CERTAIN STREETS.
THEY'RE, UM, THEY LIVE IN POVERTY.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA ALSO ADD THAT CONTINUING TO IGNORE THIS AND NOT SPEAKING OUT AGAINST WHAT IS HAPPENING IS EQUIVALENT TO NORMALIZING THE GENOCIDE AND CONDONING THE CONDONING THE MURDERS OF THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS.
OUR NUMBERS ARE 20,000, 8,000 OF THOSE BEING CHILDREN.
THEY ARE WANTING TO DESTROY THE CIVILIAN POPULATION IN GAZA.
UM, HELLO, MY NAME IS LILY MONTERO.
I AM A RESIDENT HERE IN LONG BEACH.
AND I'M ALSO AN ASPIRING EDUCATOR.
UM, I WOULD CALL MYSELF AN EDUCATOR 'CAUSE I TEACH IN CLASSROOMS. UH, BUT FOR NOW WE'RE WORKING ON THAT CREDENTIAL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TEACH AS EDUCATORS IS CRITICAL THINKING.
A STARTER QUESTION FOR OUR WARMUPS ARE OFTEN, WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHAT DO YOU NOTICE? WHAT DO YOU WONDER? UM, AND JUST WORKING ON CRITICAL THINKING, I URGE YOU GUYS TO KEEP THE LANGUAGE OF THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR WORDS REFLECT REALITY.
UM, AS SO MANY OF MY FELLOW COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE POINTED OUT, THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING, UM, GENOCIDE THAT IS GOING ON IN GAZA TO MINCE WORDS AND, UH, GET RID OF WORDS LIKE GENOCIDE, APARTHEID, OCCUPATION, COLONIZER, UM, SETTLER COLONIALISM WOULD BE TO DO AN INJUSTICE TO THE PALESTINIAN FIGHT.
UM, I URGE YOU GUYS TO KEEP THE LANGUAGE OF THIS RESOLUTION THAT WAY I DON'T HAVE TO SIT DOWN ON MONDAY AND TELL MY KIDS, WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHAT DO YOU NOTICE? WHAT DO YOU WONDER? WHY WERE THOSE WORDS NOT INCLUDED? AND WHO IS VALUED IN THIS RESOLUTION? THANK YOU.
HELLO, MY NAME IS SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.
UM, I'VE NEVER DONE THIS AND I DIDN'T PLAN ON DOING THIS, BUT I'M AN, I'M A US ARMY VETERAN.
I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND WHAT THE US ARMY CAN DO.
AND THERE ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN GAZA.
I SUPPORT THIS, THE WORDING OF IT COMPLETELY.
AND I WANT TO CHALLENGE THOSE IN THIS BUILDING.
AND THOSE OF YOU, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN RED DAWN A CLASSIC MOVIE ABOUT A RESISTANCE GOING AGAINST AN OCCUPIED AMERICA, THEN THAT IS WHAT PALESTINE IS.
AND I WOULD ALSO CHALLENGE YOU TO WATCH THE OCCUPATION OF THE AMERICAN MIND.
YOU CAN FIND IT IN MANY PLACES.
THAT IS ONE OF THE FIRST DOCUMENTARIES THAT HELPED DECONSTRUCT MY OWN MIND THAT I HAD FROM MY TIME IN THE ARMY.
SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT I WANNA SAY, AND I HOPE YOU GUYS DO THAT.
I AM THE DAUGHTER OF PALESTINIAN REFUGEES.
[02:10:01]
MY AUNT AND REZA SURVIVED AN ISRAELI BOMB THAT DESTROYED HER 12 STORY BUILDING.SHE SOUGHT SHELTER AT A UN SCHOOL AND WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HER SINCE.
WE DON'T KNOW IF MY AUNT, HER CHILDREN, OR HER GRANDCHILDREN ARE ALIVE.
ISRAEL HAS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO KNOW IF OUR FAMILY IS ALIVE.
ISRAEL HAS BOMBED SCHOOLS, HISTORICAL CHURCHES, MOSQUES, HOSPITALS AND SHELTERS.
THEY CUT OFF THE WATER, ELECTRICITY, INTERNET, FUEL, FOOD AND MEDICAL AID BOMBING AND COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT THAT ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY PUBLICLY CELEBRATE.
WE ARE NOT ASKING THE CITY FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION.
MY FAMILY IS SIMPLY BEGGING NOT TO BE MURDERED.
WE WANT OUR TAX DOLLARS TO CIRCULATE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND NOT USED TO DESTROY OTHERS.
WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT ETHICS AND THE ETHICS ARE DEMONSTRATED BY THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME.
THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO TIE TO PALESTINE, YET THEY ARE HERE BECAUSE OF THEIR MORALS AND THEIR HUMANITY.
I WANNA THANK MY BLACK, BROWN, WHITE QUEER COMMUNITY FOR STANDING FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.
WE STAND WITH YOU IN SOLIDARITY, IN YOUR FIGHT FOR LIBERATION.
AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MY JEWISH BROTHERS AND SISTERS FIGHTING FOR PALESTINIAN LIVES.
I KNOW, I KNOW THIS FIGHT HAS NOT BEEN EASY FOR YOU AND YOU HAVE LOST FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN THE PROCESS, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE FOR YOU AND THAT YOU GIVE US HOPE AND HUMANITY AND EVERYONE IS INVITED TO UBA AND K AND SHAI.
THANK YOU FOR THE ONGOING COMMENTS BEFORE THE NEXT SPEAKER, UH, PROCEEDS.
UM, I JUST WANNA SHARE THE FOLLOWING.
UM, WE'RE APPROACHING DAY EIGHT 30 MARK.
AND TRADITIONALLY THE WAY THIS WAS, WE'RE GONNA STAY LONGER, RIGHT? BUT THERE ARE RULES AND THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
THE COMMISSION HAD A QUICK PULSE CHECK THAT I DID PRIOR.
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER.
AND I THINK THE EXPECTATION FROM THE PUBLIC, RIGHTFULLY SO, IS FOR AN OUTCOME, RIGHT? SO, AND IF I DON'T SET PARAMETERS, THERE WILL BE NO OUTCOME.
SO I'M GONNA ASK AND I EYEBALL IT HERE.
FIVE MORE SPEAKERS SO WE CAN GET TO, I'M JUST EYEBALLING 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER WE CAN STAY.
UM, LET ME ASK, LET ME DO A QUICK CHECK.
JUST EYEBALL, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE TIME CHECK AFTER 8 39? JUST QUICK, QUICKLY, WHAT ARE WE DOING? NINE.
SO ARE ARE WE, YEAH, JUST A QUICK LITTLE CHECK.
YEAH, I'M LOSING MY VOICE HERE.
SO I JUST WANNA SHARE IN THE PAST WHEN WE'VE HAD IMPORTANT TOPICS LIKE THIS, UM, WE HAVE STAYED LATE.
IT WAS VIRTUAL THE LAST TIME WE HAD THIS, BUT THE PRECEDENT, I MEAN, WE WERE UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA SAY THERE IS A PRECEDENT, UM, FOR FINISHING IMPORTANT ITEMS. UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME HERE TONIGHT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO I PERSONALLY WANT TO HEAR WHAT FOLKS HAVE TO SAY AND VALUE.
UM, SO I'M WILLING TO STAY AND LISTEN AND DISCUSS AND DIALOGUE.
AND I, I APPRECIATE YOU FOR UPLIFTING THE, THE, NOT ONLY THE PRECEDENTS, UM, BUT AS I'M TRYING TO CONSIDER, I'M COMMITTED TOO.
AND I THINK A LOT, A LOT OF US ARE COMMITTED TOO.
BUT I ALSO KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE'S, SO I DON'T, I I, IT'S HARD TO SAY.
SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS I WILL CONTINUE, RIGHT? BUT JUST RECOGNIZE THAT I, WE HAVE TO MEET QUORUM AND IT'S POTENTIAL.
I JUST DON'T KNOW, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THIS IS HAPPENING IN REAL TIME THAT THERE MIGHT BE A SCHEDULING CONFLICT WITH A COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, KIDS AT HOME, I DON'T KNOW RIGHT? THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO GO AND I JUST DON'T WANNA LOSE QUORUM.
SO I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE AND HOPEFULLY GET TO AN OUTCOME TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
SO I'LL, I'LL CONTINUE, WE'LL CONTINUE.
BUT THEN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE OUTCOME, RIGHT? SO WE'LL SEE.
POINT OF INFORMATION, POINT OF INFORMATION.
UM, YOU WANNA ASK? OH YEAH, I WANT TO HEAR EVERYBODY WHAT THE LAST PERSON IN LINE HAS TO SAY.
SO IF I CAN IDENTIFY FELLOW COMMISSION.
SO THE LAST PERSON WITH THE CAL STATE LONG BEACH HAT.
I'VE BEEN WATCHING HIM FOR A LONG TIME.
OKAY, SO THAT'S OUR LAST SPEAKER.
COULD, COULD WE, COULD WE BRING THEM DOWN TO, TO ONE MINUTE? NOT TO LIMIT, BUT I'M OPEN TO THAT.
I'M ACTUALLY VERY OPEN THAT, THAT'S A GOOD COMPROMISE.
EVERYONE SPEAKS UP TO CAL STATE LONG BEACH, WHICH WHICH WE WILL GET YOUR MAIN, YOUR NAME, RIGHT? UM, AND WE'LL REDUCE IT TO A MINUTE THAT ALLOWS FOR, AND THAT ALLOWS THE COMMISSION TO FORMULATE
[02:15:02]
OUTCOMES AND SYNTHESIZING.AND WE'VE ALL BEEN TAKING NOTES AND F FIGURING THIS OUT, AND THEN WE WANNA HEAR FROM ONE ANOTHER.
ALL RIGHT? SO WE'LL SET THE TIME FOR ONE MORE MINUTE PER SPEAKER.
I'M A PALESTINIAN AMERICAN AND THE CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT TWO, I BELIEVE.
UM, I HAVEN'T DONE A LOT OF ACTIVISM IN MY LIFETIME, BUT IN THESE LAST TWO MONTHS, UM, IT'S JUST BEGS THE QUESTION, WHAT'S TAKEN ME SO LONG CONSIDERING HOW LONG THIS ATROCITY HAS BEEN GOING ON, WHICH IS THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE, WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY, UH, PALESTINE AND SHOULD BE, UH, UH, CONSIDERED AS SUCH CONSIDERING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY DATES BACK A LOT FURTHER THAN OCTOBER 7TH.
AND I URGE EVERYONE WHO IS NOT EDUCATED IN THE MATTER TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK INTO IT FOR THEMSELVES AND JUST DECIDE FOR YOURSELVES.
I BELIEVE A CEASEFIRE IS IN ORDER, CONSIDERING THE, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HERE AT THE PODIUM HAD BEEN MENTIONING THAT THEY WANT BALANCE IN THE LANGUAGE.
WE WANT BALANCE IN THE ACTIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN GAZA.
IF YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE BRAVE HISTORIANS LIKE MOAZ OR TIA, BASICALLY NOT THE BIASED AMERICAN NEWS ON TELEVISION, THEN YOU HAVE WITNESSED THEIR ONGOING NIGHTMARE.
THE UNSETTLED DUST AND RUBBLE OF THE NOW FLATTENED GAZA INE AS, AS THEY ARE BOMBED WHEREVER THEY'RE TOLD TO FLEE.
WE HAVE ALL SEEN THE ENDLESS WAR CRIMES ISRAEL HAS CARRIED OUT.
SO SADLY LONG BEFORE OCTOBER 7TH, BEFORE ANY OF US EVEN EXISTED, ACTUALLY, THESE WAR CRIMES HAVE NOW BEEN CIRCULATING AND SEEN AROUND THE WORLD.
AND THE WORLD IS WITH FELLAS SEEN A WORLD THAT IS NOW HYPER AWARE OF WHAT THE STATE OF ISRAEL IS ACTUALLY IS AN IMPERIALIST STATE FUNDED BY OUR SHAMEFUL IMPERIALIST NATION THAT HAS BEEN LIVING WHY THAT HAS BEEN LIVING IN A COLLECTIVE NIGHTMARE AS WE WATCH OUR TAX DOLLARS FUND.
THESE BARBARIC AND SADISTIC ATROCITIES UNFOLDING EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS.
NOT A WAR, A GENOCIDE, HALF OF THE POPULATION.
WHAT'S LEFT OF IT BEING INNOCENT? CHILDREN, UH, CHILDREN BORN INTO A CONCENTRATION CAMP AND KNOW THE SOUND OF BOMBS MORE THAN THE SOUND OF BIRDS.
STINGING PALESTINIANS ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE TIME BORN INTO AN UNFATHOMABLE OPPRESSION.
WITH YOUR TIME IS UP THE MILITARY.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.
THAT MEANS THAT MY ANCESTRY IS FROM EASTERN EUROPE.
QUOTE UNQUOTE, ISRAEL IS NOT MY HOMELAND.
PALESTINE IS THE HOMELAND OF PALESTINIANS.
ZIONISM IS THE SINGLE MOST DANGEROUS THING TO HAPPEN TO JEWISH PEOPLE SINCE THE HOLOCAUST.
DURING THE HOLOCAUST, MY PEOPLE ROSE UP AND FOUGHT BACK, AND THEY KILLED CIVILIANS.
AND I WOULD NEVER CONDEMN THEM EVER JUST AS I WOULD NEVER CONDEMN ANY PERSON FIGHTING FOR THEIR FREEDOM.
JEWISH PEOPLE ARE POSITIONED AS A PASSIVE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE NARRATIVE THAT WE WENT QUIETLY TO OUR DEATHS.
WE SAID NEVER AGAIN, AND WE MEANT IT FOR ANYONE.
ZIONISTS MAY NOT STAND WITH PALESTINIANS, BUT PEOPLE WHO ABIDE BY JEWISH VALUES DO CALL FOR AN END TO GENOCIDE.
NOW, IF YOU CHOOSE A NEUTRAL STANDPOINT IN 20 YEARS, YOU'LL BE TOO ASHAMED TO ADMIT THAT.
IN RETROSPECT, IT WAS NOT COMPLICATED.
THERE WAS A CLEAR PERPETRATOR AND A RECEIVER OF VIOLENCE.
YOUR GOVERNMENT LABELED PEOPLE FIGHTING FOR THEIR FREEDOM AS TERRORISTS.
YOU HAVE THE CHANCE HERE TO CHANGE LIVES EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT GOES BY.
STAND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.
MY NAME IS SCOTT, DISTRICT TWO, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION IN ITS CURRENT LANGUAGE.
OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, MORE THAN 20,000 PALESTINIANS, INCLUDING OVER 8,000 CHILDREN, HAVE BEEN SLAUGHTERED BY THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES REPEATEDLY.
UH, THE IOF HAS BOMBED HOUSES, APARTMENT BUILDINGS, SCHOOLS, MOSQUES, CHURCHES, AMBULANCES, REFUGEE SITES, AND CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, THEY'VE OBLITERATED HALF OF GAZA'S HOUSING STOCK DISPLACED AND MADE HOMELESS 1.8 MILLION PEOPLE AND HAS RENDERED LARGE SWATHS OF GAZA, COMPLETELY UNINHABITABLE.
ISRAELI LEADERSHIP IS REFERRING TO THIS AS THE GAZA NABA.
THEY ARE OPENLY DISCUSSING, UH, FLOUTING THE IDEA, TOUTING THE IDEA OF SETTLING GAZA ONCE THE BOMBING CONCLUDES.
SO TO SAY THAT THIS IS A GENOCIDE IS NOT CONTROVERSIAL.
[02:20:01]
AS SUCH VERY OPENLY BY ISRAELI JEWISH HISTORIANS, BY HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS.TIME IS UP CLEANSING SELLER COLONIALISM.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHITE SUPREMACY, WHICH IS ON THE RISE IN LONG BEACH, ALL ACROSS THE WORLD, IS THE SAME HATRED THAT TARGETS PALESTINIANS AS WELL AS JEWS.
UH, ISRAEL IS A TERRORIST STATE, AND IT IS ILLEGITIMATE COLON SETTLE COLONIST STATE THAT AIMS TO TELL COLONIZE ALL PALESTINE AND THE HOSTAGES RELEASED BY ISRAEL REFERRED TO AS PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, NOT CHILDREN LIKE THE ISRAELI HOSTAGES.
THE OCCUPIER DOES NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE.
ISRAEL IS WAGING GENOCIDE AGAINST PALESTINIANS, NOT WAR AGAINST HAMAS.
ISRAEL SAID OPENLY THAT IT WILL CONTINUE THE BOMBARDMENT OF GAZA.
AND EVEN IN THE EVENT THAT ALL THE HOSTAGES ARE RELEASED, UM, THE HOSTAGES THAT ARE, UM, CIVIL ENVIRONMENT OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS.
WE KNOW THEY'RE TARGETING CIVILIANS BECAUSE WE, THEY'VE OPENLY ADMITTED THEY TARGET HOSPITALS, AMBULANCES, MOSQUE, ET CETERA.
PEOPLE THAT THEY KNOW AREN'T HAMAS COMBATANTS, UM, IS, IS NOT REAL, HAS BEEN BOMBING GAZA AND THE WEST BANK, WHERE YOUR TIME IS UP.
CHRISTMAS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
AS WE PREPARE HERE BY BUYING AND WRAPPING GIFTS IN PALESTINE.
MOTHERS ARE WRAPPING THEIR CHILDREN FOR BURIAL.
AS WE EAT OUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY TREATS AND SET UP BIG TREES, CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS IN BETHLEHEM HAVE BEEN CANCELED BECAUSE PALESTINIAN CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS ARE BEING EXTERMINATED.
AS I WALK AROUND MY COLLEGE CAMPUS, UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN PALESTINE ARE BEING BURNED WITH WHITE PHOSPHORUS SUPPLIED BY OUR TAX DOLLARS.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIME, THE UNIVERSITY IS NOW REBEL IN PALESTINE, I'M SORRY, IN GAZA.
TONIGHT, WE WILL ALL GO HOME SAFELY AS OUR TAX DOLLARS PAY FOR ANOTHER COUNTRY'S BOMBS AND BULLETS.
I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER THESE ISSUES TONIGHT AS WE HAVE A NATIONAL CRISIS WITH MANY AMERICANS SWEARING THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND A FOREIGN MILITARY.
I BELIEVE IN AMERICAN VALUES OF LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
WHAT I DO NOT BELIEVE IN IS SENDING OUR MONEY TO MURDER 10,000 CHILDRENS IN A CONCENTRATION CAMP.
ZIONISM IS A POLITICAL COLONIAL IDEOLOGY.
I KNOW CHRISTIANS, JEWS, AND EVEN SOME MUSLIM ZIONISTS IS, IS NOT THIS, NOT TO BE COMPLETED WITH A RELIGION DAY BY DAY.
OUR CITY STATUS AS A PORT STATE RAISES ETHICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRANSPORT OF WEAPONRY CONTRIBUTING TO THE GENOCIDE OF THE PALESTINIANS, THE PRESENCE OF BOEING WAR MANUFACTURERS THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HOUSES WITH WHOM CAL STATE LONG BEACH HAS CONTRACTS WITH, IS APPALLING.
RESOURCES INTENDED FOR THE BETTERMENT OF EDUCATION ARE INDIRECTLY BEING DIVERTED TOWARDS POLICIES THAT PROMOTE IMPERIALISM AND DISPLACEMENT ABROAD.
FOR THE OVER 60 JOURNALISTS THAT HAVE BEEN MURDERED FOR DOING THEIR JOBS, THE THOUSANDS OF MOTHERS, FATHERS AND GRANDPARENTS THAT HAVE NOT HAD THE DECENCY OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, BECAUSE NO ONE CAN FIND THEM UNDER THE RUBBLE, WE WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO BE REDUCED TO STATISTICS.
EACH INDIVIDUAL MARTYR HAS PEOPLE THAT LOVE THEM, CHERISH THEM, AND CANNOT IMAGINE THEIR LIVES WITHOUT THEM.
AS A STUDENT SEEING THE NEWS THAT THREE STUDENTS WERE SHOT IN THIS VERY COUNTRY FOR WEARING THE SAME COFI THAT I'M WEARING IN THIS CHAMBER IS TERRIFYING AND SHOWS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS AMERICANS.
ONE OF THE THREE IS TERRIFYING.
MY NAME IS JA SABAR AND I'M A MEMBER OF ANAK BAYAN LONG BEACH.
AND AS A FILIPINO YOUTH AND STUDENT ORG FIGHTING FOR THE GENUINE LIBERATION OF OUR PEOPLE FROM IMPERIALISM, WE RECOGNIZE THE RIGHTS OF PALESTINIANS TO FIGHT DECADES OF COLONIAL VIOLENCE AND GENOCIDE FOR THEIR LAND AND LIVELIHOOD BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT 67% OF YOUTH IN THE US CONDEMN ISRAELI VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIGENOUS PALESTINIANS.
OUR US AND LOCAL TAX DOLLARS FUND THE GENOCIDE OF OUR PALESTINIAN SIBLINGS AND THE EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS OF PEASANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH MILITARY AND CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS, ALL WHILE PRO-PALESTINIAN STUDENTS ARE FACING VIOLENT ATTACKS, THREATS, AND SURVEILLANCE FOR SPEAKING UP RIGHT HERE IN CAL STATE LONG BEACH.
BECAUSE THOSE IN POWER CONFLATE ANTI-ZIONISM WITH ANTISEMITISM AND TERRORISM, THE LEAST THE CITY CAN DO IS CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE
[02:25:01]
IN THE FACE OF GENOCIDE.TO SET AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A PRO, PRO PEOPLE AND PROGRESSIVE CITIES SHOULD UPLIFT BY STANDING WITH PALESTINIANS AND CALL OUT THE OPPRESSION FUNDED BY THE COMPLICITY AND INTEREST OF THIS IMPERIALIST STATE FROM PALESTINE TO THE PHILIPPINES.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY SAFE SPACE.
'CAUSE YOU ARE AN AMAZING COMMISSION.
YOU'VE BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE OF WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AROUND EQUITY, SO I WANNA LIFT THAT.
SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU CHAIRMAN.
THAT LETTER IS SO WATERED DOWN THAT IF WE REALLY PUT THE TRUTH, BOY, I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD BE COMING OUT BECAUSE WE WATERED THAT LETTER DOWN.
THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE LIVE UNDER AN OCCUPATION.
IT'S SCHOLARS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
WE'RE ALSO UNDER AN APARTHEID.
WE HAVE LIKE FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PERMITS.
IF YOU LIVE ON THE WEST BANK, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERMIT.
IF YOU LIVE ON GAZA, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERMIT.
IF YOU'RE IN ISRAEL, PALESTINIANS.
'CAUSE I HAVE FAMILY THAT ARE ISRAELIS, THAT HAVE ISRAELI CITIZENSHIPS.
THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO BUILD THE WAY ISRAELIS CAN.
THEIR COMMUNITIES HAVE NOT BEEN DEVELOPED.
THEY'RE SECOND CLASS CITIZENS.
BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IN THE LETTER YOU PUT, YOU CONDEMN ALL APARTHEID AND ALL OCCUPATION.
YOU DIDN'T EVEN POINT IT UP, YOU AT THE ZIONIST.
BUT FOR SOME REASON, TIME IS UP.
UM, AS AUDREY LORDE, A BLACK DISABLED LESBIAN WRITER WROTE IN 1989, UM, QUOTE, EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES IS PRACTICE AND BECOMING THE PERSON YOU WANNA BE.
NO ANGEL IS SUDDENLY GOING TO DIS UH, DESCEND UPON YOU, MAKE YOU BRAVE, COURAGEOUS, AND TRUE.
EVERY DAY THAT YOU SIT BACK SILENT, REMEMBER, TERRIBLE THINGS ARE BEING DONE IN OUR NAME END QUOTE.
I THANK YOU FOR NOT SITTING BACK IN SILENCE.
I'M AN UNTENURED ETHNIC STUDIES PROFESSOR.
I HAVE SEEN THE REPRESSION THAT OUR BRAVE STUDENTS FACE ON OUR CAMPUS.
UM, I AM I HAVE BEEN TERRIFIED FOR MY CAREER, MY LIFE.
BUT WE ALL KNOW THIS IS BIGGER THAN OUR CAREERS.
WE KNOW THIS, THIS IS ABOUT LIVES.
AND WE ARE FORTIFIED BY THE COURAGE OF CIVIC LEADERS SUCH AS YOURSELF.
WE ARE FORTIFIED BY THE COURAGE OF PALESTINIANS WHO HAVE RESISTED AGAINST ALL ODDS, WHO HAVE PRACTICED HUMANITY, WHO ARE MAKING OVENS AND BREAD FOR EACH OTHER AND PULLING EACH OTHER OUTTA THE RUBBLE AND BEING BRAVE AGAINST EVERY, ALL THE DEHUMANIZATION THEY'RE FACING.
LET'S ALL CONTINUE TO HAVE COURAGE FOR OUR DELIBERATION.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX.
LIKE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD HAVE BEEN HORRIFIED AT THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION THAT'S BEEN UNLEASHED ON PALESTINIANS FOR 75 YEARS, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
I WANNA SPEAK AS A QUEER RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH.
THIS CITY IS RIGHTFULLY PROUD TO BE A PLACE THAT VALUES ALL LGBTQ PLUS PEOPLE.
SOMETHING THIS COMMISSION WORKS, UH, TO SUPPORT AS WELL.
HOWEVER, I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT OUR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL APPEAR TO BE SUPPORTING THE STATE OF, OF ISRAEL AS IT ENGAGES IN TEXTBOOK PINKWASHING.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, PINKWASHING IN THIS CASE REFERS TO HOW ISRAEL RECOGNIZES ITS SUPPOSED ADVANCES IN LGBT RIGHTS AS A WAY TO DISGUISE ITS APARTHEID AND OPPRESSION.
THIS REACHED, UH, TERRIBLE LEVELS.
UM, IN NOVEMBER 12TH WHEN ISRAEL PUBLISHED A PHOTO OF AN IDEA OF SOLDIER HOLDING A PRIDE FLAG.
UM, THIS AND OTHER EXAMPLES OF PINKWASHING ARE OFFENSIVE, AND WE SHOULD CALL THIS OUT.
OUR CITY MUST BE CLEAR THAT BOMBS, TANKS AND MILITARY OCCUPATION DO NOT BRING LIBERATION FOR PALESTINIANS, QUEER OR OTHERWISE.
THEY BRING DEATH, DISPLACEMENT, AND GENOCIDE.
PLEASE KEEP THE CURRENT LANGUAGE.
UH, SO, UH, LIKE THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, UH, I WANNA, UH, SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, WE ALWAYS VALUE LONG BEACH FOR BEING PROGRESSIVE.
LET'S SHOW OUR PROGRESSIVE VALUES BYPASSING THIS RESOLUTION.
LET'S SEND IT OVER TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
IMMEDIATELY BE, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T BACK DOWN FROM THE LANGUAGE YOU'RE BEING TALKED, UH, TO BACK DOWN FROM THE LANGUAGE OF, UH, GENOCIDE.
BUT YOU CAN GO ON DEMOCRACY NOW AND LISTEN TO AN ISRAELI, UM, JOURNALIST VAL ABRAHAM AND HIS INVESTIGATION OF WHAT HE IS NOW CALLING THE MASS ASSASSINATION FACTORY THAT, UH, THE ISRAELI MILITARY HAS BECOME.
HE SAYS THAT WHEN A CHILD IN GAZA IS KILLED, IT'S BECAUSE SOMEBODY IN THE MILITARY MADE A DECISION THAT IT WAS WORTH IT.
SO DON'T BACK DOWN FROM THAT LANGUAGE AND STICK.
IT'S THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING, UM, IN THE WEST BANK.
SO APARTHEID HAS TO BE PART OF THE LANGUAGE.
UM, SO PLEASE STAY WITH THE LANGUAGE.
STOP THE GENOCIDE AND THE APARTHEID.
[02:30:02]
ANNA CHRISTENSEN, UH, BORN IN LONG BEACH, 78 YEARS AGO, A MEMBER OF THE LONG BEACH AREA PEACE NETWORK.WE WROTE A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF YOUR LETTER.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT, OR I, WE DON'T WANT THE LANGUAGE CHANGE THAT TAKES TIME.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE OUT OF TIME HERE? I JUST WANNA SAY THAT AS THE MOTHER OF A, OF A CHILDREN WHO ARE NATIVE ON THEIR FATHER'S SIDE, I HAD A REALLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE GOING TO THE SAME ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WHEN MY SON WAS IN KINDERGARTEN, HE HAD LONG HAIR.
A LITTLE BOY CAME UP TO HIM AND SAID, YOU CAN'T BE AN INDIAN.
MY SON SAID, WHY NOT? WE KILLED YOU ALL.
SO, WHO'S THE WE? HOW IS A KINDERGARTNER ALREADY IDENTIFYING IN THAT WAY AND, AND BEING COMFORTABLE WITH BEING A KILLER AND BEING A VICTOR AND HAVING THAT POWER.
WE'VE HAD PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT EMPOWERING OUR YOUTH.
RIGHT? WHAT KIND OF POWER DO WE WANT? NATIVE PEOPLE HAVE NOT LOST THEIR SPIRITUAL POWER, HAVEN'T LOST THEIR CEREMONIES.
WE NEED, WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.
IS THIS THE ONLY, JUST LOWER IT.
WE, WE WILL LOWER THAT FOR YOU.
SO IF YOU MO WAIT JUST A FEW SECONDS HERE, WE WILL ACCOMMODATE.
DOES THAT WORK FOR YOU? YEAH, I THINK SO.
MY NAME'S MARCO TORES, DISTRICT ONE.
UM, I'M HERE IN SUPPOSED PART OF THE, UH, CEASEFIRE.
THE ONE THING THAT GOT ME, UH, INTO THIS WAS, WAS THE CHILDREN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE OR NOT, BUT I'M A DOUBLE AMPUTEE AND, UH, I CAN'T IMAGINE HAVING TO GO THROUGH THIS WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF ANESTHESIA OR PAIN MEDICATION.
THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ARE SOME OF THE STRONGEST PEOPLE.
I WAS ABLE TO LAST MAYBE A MINUTE OR TWO TOPS WITHOUT ANY PAIN MEDICATION AFTER THE AMPUTATION.
AND THEY'RE GOING ON EVERY DAY WITHOUT IT.
UM, I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE GOTTEN THE PROSTHETIC LEG, AND I KNOW THEY'RE DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN TO GET BY WITHOUT ANY LIMBS.
UM, UH, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM AND I REALLY PRAY FOR THE KIDS.
UM, I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
UM, I THANK YOU ALSO FOR DRAFTING THIS LETTER AND I FULLY SUPPORT THIS LETTER.
UM, I DO, UH, WANNA QUOTE, UM, THAT WELL BEFORE THAT, I DO WANNA SAY I SUPPORT A CEASEFIRE TO THIS GENOCIDE THAT IS OCCURRING AND IT IS A GENOCIDE.
UH, CRAIG HYBER ON OCTOBER 28TH, WROTE A LETTER TO THE UN HIGH COMMISSIONER INDICATING THAT THIS IS A TEXTBOOK CASE OF GENOCIDE.
HE INDICATED THAT THE CURRENT WHOLESALE SLAUGHTER OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ROOTED IN AN ETHNONATIONALIST COLONIAL SETTLER IDEOLOGY IN CONTINUATION OF DECADES OF THEIR SYSTEMATIC PERSECUTION AND PURGING BASED ENTIRELY UPON THEIR STATUSES.
ARABS LEAVES NO ROOM FOR DOUBT.
I ALSO WANNA BRING LIGHT TO A MASSACRE THAT JUST OCCURRED ONCE.
THE TRUTH WAS OVER ON DECEMBER 1ST.
IT WAS THE MASSACRE WHERE 50 RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WERE BOMBED.
IF, IF THEY'RE TRYING TO GET TO TERRACE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT BOMBING THE TOP, WHEN THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE IN THE TUNNELS IS ACCOMPLISHING.
AND OH MY GOD, I'M SO NERVOUS.
UM, 102 UN WORKERS HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE THEN.
THE HIGHEST 78 YEARS OF THE HISTORY OF THE UN.
UM, I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A NUANCED TOPIC.
THIS IS, THIS IS NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, GRAY AREAS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW, THE FEW QUESTIONS OF MODERN HISTORY WHERE THE BLACK IS BLACK, RIGHT IS RIGHT.
WE FEEL GUILTY, MAN, WHEN I HUG MY KID, WHEN I
[02:35:01]
EAT, WHEN I DRINK, I FEEL GUILTY FOR HUGGING MY KID.WHEN I SEE ALL THIS, THESE ATROCITIES EVERY MORNING HAPPENING TO, TO OUR, YOU KNOW, DAUGHTERS AND FAMILIES IN, IN RUSSIA, IT'S WRONG.
WE HAVE THE BIG HUMAN MORAL ISSUES IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE GOTTA BUILD FOR OUR FUTURE AMBITIONS.
I'M, I CAN'T, I CAN'T REALLY FIND WORDS I CAN'T FIND.
I'M, I WANNA JUST SHARE WITH YOU A QUICK, A QUICK STORY FROM ISRAEL.
ALLOW ME, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS, THIS EXPERIENCE THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY.
IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY IN, I HAVE TO BE EQUITABLE.
THERE'S, THERE'S THIS UNCLE WAS FLEEING WITH SEVEN CHILDREN BY FOOT.
AN ISRAELI ARMY CALLED HIM OUT.
YOU KNOW, THE ISRAELIS SPEAK ARABIC FLUENTLY.
THEY ASK HIM IN ARABIC, THEY TOLD HIM, YOU'VE BEEN WALKING FOR MANY KILOMETERS.
I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO HELP YOU.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT HE DID? HE PUT A BULLET IN HIS HEAD, IN FRONT OF HIS FAMILY.
I THANK THIS COMMISSION FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING AND MAKING A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA.
LAST NIGHT, MAYOR RICHARDSON RESPONDED TO OUR CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE BY POINTING US TO THIS COMMISSION'S HEARING.
TONIGHT, I'M ASSUMING HE AND THE REST OF CITY COUNCIL NEEDED TO HEAR US, TO SEE US TONIGHT SO THAT THEY COULD ALSO DO THE RIGHT THING.
SO THE, THIS MESSAGE AND THESE MESSAGES ARE ALL TO HIM.
CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
I LOOK AT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM AND I SEE ALL OF OUR STORIES AND THE STORIES OF OUR ANCESTORS CONNECTED BY COLONIALISM, IMPERIALISM, AND WHITE SUPREMACY.
AND THEN I THINK ABOUT THE SACRIFICES OF ALL THOSE BEFORE US, SO THAT WE CAN BE HERE, BE HERE TODAY WITH OUR PRIVILEGE TO HAVE THIS DIALOGUE WHILE CHILDREN ARE BEING BLOWN TO FIT.
SO LIKE MILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD.
I BEAR WITNESS AND I STAND HERE IN FRONT OF YOU TO SAY LOUD AND CLEAR THAT WITHIN OUR LIFETIME, WE'LL WE WILL SEE A FREE PALESTINE.
I AM A LONG BEACH RESIDENT AND THE COLLEGE PROFESSOR WHO HAS BEEN SILENCED BY ZIONISTS.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY SILENCE AND DO FAKE NEWS.
WHAT IS IT THEY'RE TRYING TO HIDE? LET'S CALL IT WHAT IT IS.
UH, ZIONISM IS A SELF-SERVING RACIST IDEOLOGY AND CAUSING CHAOS AND MISERY ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AS THE JEWISH VOICES WHO REFUSE THAT, THIS HAPPENS IN THEIR NAME AND RELIGION, THEY STAND UP FOR PALESTINE.
ISRAEL IS AN APARTHEID STATE AS DETERMINED BY OVER 500.
ISRAELI IS, UH, INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
INSTEAD OF USING GAS CHAMBERS, THEY USE PHOSPHORUS BOMBS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS YASMINA JOHNSTON AND THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TO SPEAK, UM, IN A COUNCIL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO JUST REMIND EVERYBODY THAT IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, YOU ARE STANDING ON RED GROUND.
IT WAS FOUNDED BY COLONIALISM AND WHITE SUPREMACY.
AND I HAVE LOST MY CEREMONIES BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN ERASED TO ME BY ASSIMILATION, GENOCIDE, AND COLONIALISM.
AND I AM JUST ASTOUNDED THAT I AM WITNESSING THIS IN ANOTHER COUNTRY TODAY.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY IN MY BLOODLINE THAT I HAVE SAID THAT WE HAVE SAID THIS IS ENOUGH.
AND HELP US SO THAT WE DON'T WITNESS THIS TO ANOTHER PEOPLE.
I AM SEEING THE TRAIL OF TEARS OVER AND OVER AGAIN ON THESE, ON THE PALESTINIANS MOVING SOUTH AND THE MASS GRAVES.
WE ARE STANDING ON MASS GRAVES OF THE INDIANS BEFORE US.
[02:40:07]
CAN WE, CAN I ASK, UH, STAFF, OR IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, THERE'S A BUTTON IF YOU NEED THE PODIUM RAISED.UM, IN ORDER TO CAPTURE YOUR VOICES A LITTLE BIT BETTER, IT'S ON THE TOP.
UM, FROM OUR SIDE, I HOPE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME SIDE, BUT THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR VOICES.
UM, I THINK LIKE MANY OF YOU, I SIT AT HOME AND I WATCH THE FEEDS AND I FEEL POWERLESS.
SO I FEEL MORE POWERFUL TODAY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXTENDED TIME.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE TWO SIDES OF THE DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND TOLERATING WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY AS WE TOLERATED SOME OF YOUR SENTIMENTS.
I SUPPORT THE LETTER IN THE LANGUAGE THAT IT IS.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT THERE'S A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE THAT I COMMEND HERE.
I JUST WANNA TALK AS A REGULAR PERSON.
MY MOTHER IS, UH, ASHKENAZI JEW.
LIKE I COME FROM A VERY DIVIDED BACKGROUND.
UH, I'M AMERICAN AND I WANNA BE PROUD OF AMERICA.
I WANNA BE PROUD OF THE DEMOCRACY.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS CAN REMEMBER WHAT WAS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT YOU TAKING THESE SEATS THAT YOU SPEAK FOR US.
I DON'T WANNA CONVINCE YOU, I DON'T NEED TO CONVINCE YOU.
YOU ALREADY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION.
I WANT YOU TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT AND REPRESENT US.
YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T GET TO MAKE YOUR OWN OPINIONS HERE.
YOU MAKE OUR OPINIONS AND YOU VOICE THEM FOR US.
SO I HOPE YOU DO THAT WITH GOOD CONSCIENCE.
I WAS HERE TODAY 'CAUSE I WAS HOPING FOR MORE DIALOGUE, UM, FROM OUR COLLEAGUES OVER HERE.
UM, BUT ALL I'VE SEEN MOSTLY IS A LOT OF SHAKING HEADS WHEN PEOPLE HAVE SAID THINGS LIKE, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD STOP KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE.
I THINK WE SHOULD STOP BOMBING KIDS, HOSPITALS, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS.
UM, AND I SEE A LOT OF HEADS SHAKING.
SO I WAS WONDERING WHERE THE DIALOGUE IS FROM OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY.
I'M ASSUMING THAT'S, UM, WHO THEY'RE, WHO THEY ARE.
BECAUSE I'M NOT SEEING ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TERMS OF BELIEVING THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CEASEFIRE.
AND I DO HAVE TO SAY FOR THE RECORD THAT FOR US TO CALL FOR NOT KILLING PEOPLE EVERY DAY FOR THE LAST 50 PLUS DAYS IS NOT ANTI-SEMITIC, BECAUSE THAT'S THE TROPE THAT WE GOT TO HEAR.
I HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED MYSELF BECAUSE I AM AFRAID OF ZIONISTS WHO SHAKE THEIR HEAD.
WHEN WE ASK YOUR TIME IS UP, JUST STOP SOMETHING AS SIMPLE TIME IS KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE.
I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO STOP COMING.
I'M MICHAEL AND I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING TIME FOR ALL OF THESE VOICES TO BE HEARD.
UH, I WAS HERE LAST NIGHT AND UM, THIS DISCUSSION WASN'T HAPPENING.
SO I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR PUTTING THIS RESOLUTION FORWARD.
ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOU WHO PUT IN THE TIME TO, TO WRITE THIS IN THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN.
I'M SURE THERE WAS ALREADY DELIBERATION AND CHANGES MADE TO IT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I PERSONALLY THINK IT IS A GREAT RESOLUTION AND IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT STAYS HOW IT IS.
AND ALL OF YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT AREN'T SUPPORTING THIS, OR YOU MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S A VARIETY OF OPINIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UM, BUT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE TONIGHT.
IT WAS A UNIFIED VOICE TONIGHT.
UH, THE FEW PEOPLE WHO SPOKE AGAINST THIS, IT WAS MOSTLY SEMANTIC AND IT WAS TO WATER IT DOWN AND TAKE SOME OF THE WORDS THAT POWERFULLY I LEARNED ABOUT TONIGHT OUT OF THIS RESOLUTION.
OKAY? AND TO THE LAST GENTLEMAN, HANG ON JUST TO THE LAST GENTLEMAN.
I JUST WANT MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR TIME IS UP.
I DROVE UP TO TO WAIT TO WITH JEWS.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
I HAVE GRATITUDE FOR EVERYONE THAT TOOK THE TIME TO SPEAK, REGARDLESS IF IT WAS THIS MEDIUM IN PERSON OR ON ZOOM.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE MANY FOLKS THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO SPEAK FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
KNOW THAT AS COMMISSIONERS, WE'VE ALSO HAVE WRITTEN
[02:45:01]
COMMENT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN FORWARDED TO US.AND THAT'S ANOTHER AVENUE FOR PARTICIPATION.
AND WE HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF US.
AND OUR JOB NOW IS IN REAL TIME IS TO SYNTHESIZE.
AND, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, TAKING NOTES AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO BEST PROCEED.
UM, I WANNA OFFER SOME CONTEXT FIRST BEFORE I SHARE MY RECOMMENDATION.
IF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ARE ARE OPEN TO IT.
UM, I HEAR FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SPEAKERS KEEPING THE LETTER AS IS.
AND I ALSO HEARD FROM OTHER SPEAKERS THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL CONCERNS WITH THE LANGUAGE.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THAT WAS SAID, AND THAT'S BEEN SHARED IN MANY OF THIS.
AND THAT'S JUST THE, THAT'S FACTUAL, RIGHT? IN TERMS OF WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED FROM MY END, I SEE THE CRUX OF THE LETTER.
THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS THE CEASEFIRE.
NOW, IF THERE WERE A WORLD, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE IS, I'M SAYING IF THERE WAS A WORLD TO KEEP THAT LETTER AS IS, AND IT IS AN OPTION.
MY THINKING ON THIS IS THAT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME, IF AT ALL, DON'T KNOW THAT LETTER AS IS WILL TRANSLATE INTO AN AGENDA ITEM AT CITY COUNCIL.
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, SO NOT EVERYONE PERHAPS IN THIS SPACE IS AWARE OF THE DIFFERENT LEVERS OF GOVERNMENT.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING BODY AND IT REALLY IS UP TO CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEY HAVE OPTIONS WHETHER THEY WANT TO TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS IS OR ADJUST THEM TO WHATEVER SUITS, YOU KNOW, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND WHAT THEY'RE HEARING AND THEY'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS AS WELL, RIGHT? SO WHEN I REFLECT BACK TO MY ORIGINAL POINT, THE CRUX OF THE LETTER IS THE CEASE FIRE.
AND SO WHAT I'M SYNTHESIZING, RIGHT? AND I HOPE EVERYONE JUST HEARS ME OUT, AND IT IS A RECOMMENDATION I'M ABOUT TO MAKE.
IF THE CRUX OF THE LETTER IS THE CEASE FIRE, WHAT IS THE PATHWAY TO GET AN AGENDA ITEM AT CITY COUNCIL ALIGNED WITH A CEASEFIRE STATEMENT FOR REASONS THAT ARE, HAVE BEEN ARTICULATED, NOT ONLY BY THE COMMISSION, BUT FOR REASONS ARTICULATED HERE.
WHILE ALSO, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT, WE'RE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY WHILE ALSO HOPING TO GAIN A VARIETY OF CONSTITUENTS.
IT'S NOT GONNA PLEASE EVERYONE.
AND I KNOW THAT I GET IT RIGHT, BUT HOPING TO GET PEOPLE TO ALIGN WITH CEASEFIRE LANGUAGE.
NOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU, HOPEFULLY ALL OF YOU READ THE LETTER.
WE WERE VERY SPECIFIC WITH RECOMMENDING A CEASEFIRE LANGUAGE AND WE ALSO ATTACHED AS AN FYI, RIGHT? UH, CORY BUSH'S RESOLUTION, UM, TO THAT PARTICULAR LETTER.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, AND I'M GONNA READ THIS TWICE, RIGHT? AND I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE REACTION AND KEY PIECES OF IT, I GET THAT.
BUT I WOULD ASK TO WAIT FOR THE WHOLE PIECE TO BE READ.
I'LL READ IT AGAIN AND FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ARE GONNA SEE THIS.
I CAN'T MOVE ANYTHING WITHOUT A SECOND.
UM, BUT HERE'S WHAT MY SYNTHESIS AND IT'S IN TAKEAWAY.
ALRIGHT? IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS AND TO CARVE OUT A, A PATHWAY TO A LOCAL CEASEFIRE STATEMENT, I MOVE TO RECOMMEND THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY STAFF WRITE A LETTER FROM US, THE COMMISSION TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL AND PRESENT TO THIS COMMISSION AT A SPECIAL MEETING.
AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY IN A SECOND.
THERE'S, THERE'S PROCESSES HERE AT A SPECIAL MEETING WHERE WE WILL VOTE ON SENDING THE LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL.
WHAT SHOULD THIS LETTER SAY? THIS LETTER SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS.
ONE, ACKNOWLEDGING THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN GAZA.
TWO, ADOPT A LOCAL RESOLUTION THAT SPEAKS TO A LASTING CEASEFIRE AND PEACE.
THREE, A CALL FOR MORE COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES ALIGNED TO THIS TOPIC.
AND FOUR, CONTINUE ACKNOWLEDGE AND CONDEMN ANTISEMITISM, ANTI-ARAB AND ANTI PALESTINIAN AND ISLAMOPHOBIA THAT IS OCCURRING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.
AND I ALSO ASK THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY ALIGN WITH THIS MOTION, RIGHT? IDENTIFY KEY ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH THAT CAN COME TO THE TABLE WITH CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? AND ALIGN TO A CEASEFIRE STATEMENT THAT IS LOCAL.
AND IN DOING SO, IF WE HAVE BUY-IN FOR THIS, THIS MOTION HERE, UM, I THINK THAT ACCOMPLISHES ONE OF THE
[02:50:01]
GOALS THAT I HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR, RIGHT? THE CEASEFIRE LANGUAGE FOR THE, ALL THE REASONS THAT HAVE BEEN ARTICULATED WHILE ALSO BRINGING OTHER STAKEHOLDERS INTO THE FOLD TO CHIME IN AND WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE IN THE CONTEXT OF LONG BEACH.UM, SO THAT IS MY RECOMMENDATION.
I AM GOING TO KIND OF LET THAT INTENTIONALLY JUST GONNA SIT FOR A FEW SECONDS, RIGHT? AND I'LL READ IT AGAIN AFTER IT SITS FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS.
AND THEN IT ALSO GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY, FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO DIGEST THAT.
UM, AND, AND SEE IF WE CAN GET A SECOND.
AND THEN WE OPEN IT UP TO COMMENTS TO MOVE THIS, THIS COMMISSION FORWARD.
AND WE DON'T KNOW THIS, THE MOTION MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE SHAPING RIGHT? DEPENDING ON WHAT COMES UP.
AND, AND, AND THEN FOR ME, THIS ACCOMPLISHES THE PATHWAY, HOPEFULLY RIGHT? FOR CITY COUNCIL TO AGENDIZE SOONER, RIGHT? A CEASEFIRE STATEMENT IN LONG BEACH, RIGHT? THAT'S MY GOAL.
BUT BRINGING OTHER PEOPLE INTO THE FOLD SO THEY CAN SEE THAT, UM, IN BUILD TIME DEVELOP.
NOW, I DO NEED A SECOND, RIGHT? BUT I'M GONNA READ THE STATEMENT ONE MORE TIME JUST TO MAKE SURE.
SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE A HARD TIME FOLLOWING, OF COURSE, THAT LANGUAGE.
I HAVE THE REAL, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THAT'S UP.
I WANNA BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE CHANGING, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
THIS WOULD BE A, THIS WOULD BE A ANOTHER LETTER.
THIS IS JUST FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
I WILL READ IT AND I WILL ASK IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR OUR STAFF WHO ARE WORKING REALLY DILIGENT ON THIS TO ALSO WRITE, UM, AND SEE IF THEY CAN PUT A SLIDE UP THERE.
SO I'LL REPEAT THIS ONE MORE TIME.
SO IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS AND TO CARVE OUT A PATHWAY TO A LOCAL CEASEFIRE STATEMENT, I MOVE TO RECOMMEND THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY STAFF WRITE A LETTER FROM US, THE COMMISSION TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL AND PRESENT IT BACK TO US BEFORE IT GOES TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND AGAIN, I'LL EXPLAIN WHY IN A SECOND.
THERE'S GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT PROCEDURES THAT HAVE TO FOLLOW AT A SPECIAL MEETING WHERE WE WILL VOTE TO SEND THAT LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL.
THE LETTER SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS.
ONE, ACKNOWLEDGING THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS CRISIS IN GAZA.
TWO, ADOPT A LOCAL RESOLUTION THAT SPEAKS TO A LASTING CEASEFIRE AND PEACE.
THREE, A CALL FOR MORE COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES ALIGNED TO THIS TOPIC.
AND FOUR, CONTINUE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CONDEMN ANTISEMITISM, ANTI-ARAB, AND ANTI PALESTINIAN SENTIMENT AND ISLAMOPHOBIA.
AND I'M GONNA CHARGE THE OFFICE OF EQUITY TO IDENTIFY KEY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE FOLD TO CHIME IN WITH THIS LOCAL CEASEFIRE STATEMENT.
AND MY RATIONALE BEHIND THAT IS TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE CHIME IN IN A PROCESS, I WOULDN'T SAY SIMILAR TO THIS 'CAUSE IT SETS CERTAIN RULES, BUT IN A PROCESS WHERE THEY SEE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT.
'CAUSE ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE BEEN RECEIVING, ALTHOUGH WE HAD A RATIONALE AND THAT WAS ARTICULATED LAST MEETING, WE HAD TO WRITE THAT LETTER WITH ALL DUE AND DELIBERATE SPEED TO ENSURE THAT IT MADE IT TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND WE WERE IN A STRICT TIMELINE.
BUT THERE ARE CONCERNS, I'M JUST SHARING WHAT CONCERNS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO ME AND TO THE COMMISSION ABOUT PROCESSES.
AND SO MY RATIONALE HERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A PROCESS, RIGHT, THAT FOLK CAN BE BROUGHT INTO TO ENSURE THAT THE CEASEFIRE, UH, STATEMENT, UM, IS AGENDIZED.
AND I CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT WE ARE NOT CITY COUNCIL, BUT I THINK THIS ALLOWS IN THIS OTHER LETTER, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITY COUNCIL TO SIT WITH IT, RIGHT? AND TO FIGURE OUT SHOULD THEY TAKE THIS RIGHT WHEN THEY'LL TAKE THIS, RIGHT? HOPEFULLY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
BUT THAT'S ON CITY COUNCIL TO DECIDE AND THEN, UH, GET AN OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? TO HAVE THE STATEMENT.
OTHERWISE, MY ASSESSMENT, I COULD BE WRONG, BUT MY ASSESSMENT IS WE'RE GONNA BE WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING AND THERE MAY NOT BE RIGHT? A LOCAL, UH, CEASEFIRE STATEMENT.
SO, SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH THIS MOTION.
I'M GONNA ASK THE OFFICE OF EQUITY STAFF IF THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE THIS ON, ON A VISUAL OF ANY SORT.
CHAIR, I HAVE EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT YOUR LAST PART, YOU, UH, WEAVED IN SOME EXPLANATION INTO YOUR MOTIONS.
I JUST NEED YOU TO CLARIFY THE LAST PART.
WHAT ARE YOU ASKING US TO DO? CORRECT.
SO I AM ASKING THE OFFICE OF EQUITY STAFF TO IDENTIFY ORGANIZATIONS THAT, AND LET ME BE MORE SPECIFIC.
ORGANIZATIONS THAT CENTER THE VOICES OF ARAB,
[02:55:01]
JEWISH, PALESTINIAN, AND MUSLIM EXPERIENCES.SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE AT THE TABLE RIGHT? UM, THAT, UH, CAN HELP CRAFT THE CEASEFIRE STATEMENT IN THIS LONG BEACH.
SO, UH, SHOULD I REPEAT THAT OR DID WE, OKAY.
SO THE SECOND PART IS TO HAVE THE OFFICE OF EQUITY IDENTIFY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, THAT CENTER THE VOICES OF ARAB
I KNOW THERE'S INTERSECTIONS THERE, OF COURSE, BUT I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR WITH THOSE CONSTITUENCIES BECAUSE I WANNA, FOR ME, IT'S OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO CENTER, RIGHT, THOSE, THOSE VOICES AND THOSE EXPERIENCES WITHIN THE PROCESS.
UM, DOES THAT GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THAT SLIDE IN THE INTERIM AS YOU PROVIDE, UH, THAT SLIDE? SINCE COMMISSIONERS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ME TWICE ON THIS, I WILL DEFER TO SEE IF THERE'S, I CAN GET A SECOND ON THIS MOTION.
SECOND BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT CHAIR.
UM, WE, SINCE WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY AND VICE CHAIR COVINGTON.
UM, SO YOU CAN EITHER SUGGEST THIS AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THAT MOTION FIRST.
UM, SO THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN A FRIENDLY, SO WE GET THE FIRST, AGAIN, REMIND ME WHO FIRST? COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO THIS CHAIR? CHAIR, LAURA? EXCUSE ME.
I, THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN A FRIENDLY, I THINK IT'S MUCH, IT'S, THERE'S MUCH MORE TO IT THAN WHAT'S ON THE FLOOR.
I THINK IT'D BE MUCH BETTER IF YOU MADE THIS A SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
NOW FOR PROCESS SAKE, DOES COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY ACCEPT THE SUBSTITUTE? IS THAT THE PROCESS OR DO I JUST NO, ANYONE CAN SECOND THE SUBSTITUTE.
SOMEONE HAS TO SECOND THE SUBSTITUTE AND ANYONE CAN DO IT.
AND I DO HAVE A COMMISSIONER COVINGTON, WHO WILL SECOND IT, BUT I WILL JUST SO THE PUBLIC RECOGNIZE HERE.
DO I, AM I ABLE TO EXPLAIN MY SECOND? ABSOLUTELY.
THE, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR NOW IS THE MOTION AS, UM, AS ARTICULATED BY CHAIR LAURA.
AND NOW YOU CAN OPEN UP DISCUSSION CHAIR, LAURA, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO, AND LET DISCUSSION AND LET COMMISSIONER COVINGTON SPEAK.
YES, I, I DO WANNA OPEN DISCUSSION BY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
UH, BUT RIGHT BEFORE I DO THAT, I'M GONNA ASK OUR CITY ATTORNEY HERE TO EXPLAIN WHY WE HAVE TO HAVE A, A SPECIAL MEETING.
I TRIED OTHER, TRUST ME, I TRIED BEING CREATIVE HERE.
BUT THE ONLY AVENUE HERE IS TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING WHERE WE LOOK AT THE LETTER AND THERE ARE LEGAL REASONS WHY.
SO I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, I DON'T LIKE BEING THE BEARER OF BAD TIDINGS, BUT THE, THE WAY THAT THE MANNER IN WHICH THIS ITEM WAS AGENDIZED WAS TO RECEIVE AND FILE.
AND THAT SOMEWHAT LIMITS WHAT YOU ALL CAN DO TONIGHT.
AND SO WHAT YOU CAN DO TONIGHT, AND WHAT I THINK THE CHAIR'S MOTION DOES IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW IS YOU CAN DIRECT STAFF TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS, MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES TO THE LETTER, DRAFT A NEW LETTER.
WHAT YOU CAN'T DO TONIGHT IS TAKE FINAL ACTION, DIRECTING THAT, THAT LETTER BE SENT TO THE COUNCIL.
THAT IS THE ACTION THAT WILL HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED EITHER AT YOUR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING IN JANUARY.
BUT IF YOU DON'T WANNA WAIT, YOU CAN CALL A SPECIAL MEETING AND TAKE THAT ACTION AT AT ANY SPECIAL MEETING IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
MY RATIONALE FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING IS TO DO THIS FAST, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHEDULES ARE
NO, I AM JUST, WE ARE WORKING TO FIGURE THAT OUT RIGHT NOW.
MY GOAL IS ONCE WE GO THROUGH DISCUSSION IS TO FIGURE OUT WHEN WE CAN SCHEDULE THAT SPECIAL MEETING.
MY PRIORITY RIGHT IS TO DO THIS, THE SOONER THE BETTER.
BUT AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE'S SCHEDULES ARE.
IF FOLKS, IF WE HAVE EIGHT COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THIS WEEK, WE CAN TRY THAT.
IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE EARLY NEXT WEEK, WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, BUT WE, WE CAN'T THAT WE JUST HEARD FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, THAT CANNOT DO, WE CAN'T TAKE THE FINAL VOTE RIGHT NOW.
WHAT'S THAT? WAIT, WE CANNOT GO AGAINST THE LAW.
LIKE WE HAVE TO DO THIS IN THIS WAY.
IF THERE WAS A WAY TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS, DEPENDING ON SCHEDULES, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
WHAT I WOULD PREFER TO DO, WE'LL MOVE TO THE DISCUSSION WITH COMMISSIONERS, RIGHT? TO SEE WHAT THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION MAY LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THAT PROCESS, AS YOU ALL THINK ABOUT IT AS WELL,
[03:00:01]
FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR SCHEDULES ARE AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN LAND ON SOMETHING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.AND IT WOULD JUST BE THIS AGENDA ITEM, RIGHT? LOOK AT THE LETTER ISSUED FROM THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND THEN WE VOTE ON IT, RIGHT? AND THAT'S THE WAY THE PROCESS WORKS.
WE DO HAVE, UH, AS I MENTIONED, RULES AND LAWS AND PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY.
AND WE, UH, PRIOR TO THE MEETING AS WE WERE LEARNING THIS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT OTHER WAYS.
BUT THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE PROCESS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE LEARNED.
OKAY? SO, SO I'M GONNA THANK YOU FOR THE SECOND, I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO FELLOW COMMISSIONER.
SO I'M GONNA LOOK AT THE QUEUE HERE TO SEE WHO HAS QUEUED UP.
I JUST WANTED TO FIRST THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING RESPECTFUL THIS EVENING AND FOR COMING HERE TO ACTUALLY SPEAK SO WE COULD HEAR YOUR VOICE.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, A HUMAN IS A HUMAN AND ALL LIFE SHOULD BE PROTECTED REGARDLESS OF RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, POLITICAL VIEWS, ET CETERA.
AND AT LAST MONTH'S MEETING, AND TONIGHT, IN ADDITION TO SPEAKING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, READING SOCIAL MEDIA, HEARING COMMENTS FROM ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, WE HAVE HEARD THE VOICES, UM, FROM OUR COMMUNITY, UM, BOTH IN SUPPORT AND THE CONCERNS WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, WE ARE HERE AS COMMISSIONERS TO AMPLIFY THE VOICE OF OUR LONG BEACH COMMUNITY.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO TOUGH CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS AND SENSITIVE TOPICS.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO BE INFORMED, TO BE EDUCATED ON SENSITIVE ISSUES BECAUSE THAT HELPS TO MINIMIZE THE BIASES CUT THROUGH THE FAKE NEWS AND TO REALLY HONE IN ON WHAT THE REAL EMOTIONS ARE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, BECAUSE ALL RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR RACE AND GENDER, SHOULD FEEL SAFE AND HEARD IN OUR CITY OF LONG BEACH.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU FOR COMING OUT.
UM, AND I JUST WOULD LIKE, UH, CHAIR A LITTLE CLARIFICATION.
DO WE ACTUALLY NEED A LETTER OR CAN WE, UM, TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU OUTLINED AND SIMPLY PRESENT THOSE? SO I'M GOING TO SHARE THAT THERE'S SOME, A LITTLE, SOME TECHNICALITIES HERE.
SO I'M REFERRING, I KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN USING THE, THE LANGUAGE LETTER TO ALIGN WITH WHAT HAPPENED A MONTH AGO.
AND WE, IT WAS A FORMAL LETTER.
UM, AND I CAN EASILY SAY THAT THIS IS A, A RECOMMENDATION, THIS, AND THIS IS WHAT IT IS.
OR MY MOTION WAS A RECOMMENDATION.
I STILL HAVE TO WRITE OR THE OFFICE OF EQUITY HAVE TO WRITE.
UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LONG JUST INTO A FORMAL LETTER INTRODUCING THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO WE'RE ESSENTIALLY SPEAKING TO THE SAME THING.
I THINK WHAT BECOMES VERY CHALLENGING BASED ON WHAT I LEARNED FROM OUR CITY ATTORNEY, IS THAT WE STILL HAVE, THE ONLY WAY TO GET THIS LETTER OUT TO CITY COUNCIL PROCESS-WISE OR THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING.
WHERE, AND I'M GOING TO HYPOTHETICAL HERE, RIGHT? WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AT THAT SPECIAL MEETING.
WE GET THE LETTER, Y'ALL READ THE LETTER, RIGHT? AND THEN I WOULD CALL FOR A MOTION FOR A VOTE.
AND THEN WE TAKE A VOTE AND THEN IT HAS TO KICK.
AND THOSE ARE, THAT'S THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE LAW,
NOW I WANNA ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY AGAIN IN MY EXPLANATION, IN MY SYNTHESIS OF IT TO THE PUBLIC.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YOU DID.
YOU GOT IT EXACTLY RIGHT IN ONE, A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT I WANT TO ADD IS THAT A SPECIAL MEETING REQUIRES 24 HOUR NOTICE.
SO IT, IT, THAT'S PRETTY NIMBLE.
UM, YOU CAN SET SOMETHING FOR AS EARLY AS FRIDAY IF YOUR SCHEDULES ALLOW.
CAN THAT MEETING BE VIRTUAL? UH, NO.
IT, WELL, NO, IT, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THE REQUIREMENT TO MEET IN PERSON, BUT THOSE HAVE TO DO WITH MEDICAL EMERGENCIES AND SUCH.
UM, SO I, SO I DON'T RECOMMEND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET ALL THE OPTIONS SO WE CAN GET AT LEAST EIGHT COMMISSIONERS AT A SPECIAL MEETING.
BUT WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT AT THE END.
I JUST WANNA HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION, FIGURE OUT WHERE WE
[03:05:01]
LAND, EVENTUALLY VOTE, AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHEN WE CAN SCHEDULE THIS SPECIAL MEETING.UM, SO I'M LOOKING AT THE QUEUE.
I HAVE VICE CHAIR COVINGTON QUEUED UP.
UH, I WANTED TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TODAY, SPEAKING FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE, BUT ALSO FOR THE MANY COMMUNITIES THAT THEY REPRESENT.
UM, UH, I'M SUPPORTING THIS SUBSTITUTE MOTION, UH, FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS HAD THIS RECOMMENDATION IN HAND FOR ENOUGH TIME TO AGENDIZE THIS ITEM.
THANK YOU FOR WHATEVER REASONS THEY HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO.
AND AS AN ORGANIZER MYSELF, I UNDERSTAND NO ACTION IS ACTUALLY AN ACTION.
SO FOR THAT REASON, I, MY GOAL FROM HEARING FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR THE THOUSANDS OF LIVES WHO ARE BEING LOST AND THE FUTURE ONES TO COME, THE CEASEFIRE IS THE GOAL.
AND SO FOR THAT, IN MY ROLE AS THE VICE CHAIR FOR WHAT I CAMPAIGN TO SERVE ALL OF LONG BEACH, TO ACCOMPLISH GOALS, TO BENEFIT THOSE HERE AND THOSE WHO WE LOVE, I WANT TO SEE THE CEASEFIRE HAPPEN.
AND IF THIS PATH IS GOING TO OPEN THE DOORS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, I'M GONNA DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO THIS IS NOT THE ANSWER OR THE RESULT THAT WE WANTED, BUT IN TRUE FASHION OF LONG BEACH, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO GO A LITTLE BIT SLOWER IN ORDER TO MAKE THE MEANS FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
AND I KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE DYING.
I RECENTLY HAD MY AUNT MURDERED, SO I UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT THAT HAS, AND I FEEL SO IMPASSIONED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR, FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
SO THAT'S MY REASONING, AND I HOPE THAT FELLOW COMMISSIONERS SUPPORT, UH, THIS SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
FOR WHATEVER REASON, MY SCREEN IS NOT QUEUING UP PROPERLY, BUT I AM HEARING THAT COMMISSIONER, UM, GUTIERREZ IS QUEUED UP.
IS THAT CORRECT? COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ? YEAH.
IT'S NOT SHOWN UP ON MY SCREEN, BUT I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOU.
THANK YOU CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, UM, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR TRUTH AND BEING BRAVE AND REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, DOING SO MUCH OF THE LABOR TO EDUCATE US, EDUCATE FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS, EDUCATE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THINGS THAT WE KNOW WE CAN ALL DO ON OUR OWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE TIME AND, AND EDUCATE OURSELVES.
UM, READ UNBIASED NEWS SOURCES, ACTUALLY LEARN ABOUT THEORIES, UM, TRUE HISTORIES OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AND ISRAEL AND, YOU KNOW, THE LAST 75 YEARS.
SO I JUST WANNA REALLY THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO DO THAT LABOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST MONTH SINCE WE WE'VE PASSED THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, I I'VE HAD AN OVERWHELMING OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT AND FROM SO MANY OF YOU, SO MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY, JEWISH COMMUNITIES, PALESTINIAN COMMUNITIES IN THE BROADER ARAB COMMUNITY, AND SO MANY MORE.
AND I'VE ALSO RECEIVED A WHOLE LOT OF NEGATIVE FEEDBACK.
I HAVE HAD POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE CITY QUESTION MY JEWISH HERITAGE AND DISCOUNT, UH, MY CALLS FOR PEACE AND, UM, AND PALESTINIAN LIBERATION AS ANTI-SEMITIC AND WHO HAVE CLASSIFIED THE TRUTH TELLING OF PALESTINIAN HISTORY AS ANTI-SEMITIC.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY, I WARN THAT THE WEAPONIZATION OF THE TERM ANTI-SEMITIC IS GONNA DO US ALL A DISSERVICE.
UM, IT'S GOING TO UNDERMINE THE REAL INSTANCES OF ANTISEMITISM THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AND AS I'VE HAD HEARD THIS FEEDBACK TO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, IT HAS BECOME VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT THERE IS A HUGE GAP IN UNDERSTANDING AND EDUCATION ON THE ISSUE.
WE KNOW THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM SURE DOES NOT EDUCATE US ABOUT MUCH, BUT DEF DEFINITELY DOESN'T EDUCATE US ON, YOU KNOW, FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
UM, AND, AND YOU ALL SHARED SO MUCH OF THAT HISTORY TONIGHT, SO I DON'T NEED TO RECAP THAT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I, GROWING UP IN THE TEMPLE, I WAS LEARN, YOU KNOW, I WAS TAUGHT AND, AND LEARNED ABOUT, UM, THE LAND OF ISRAEL AND THIS, UM, VERY SANITIZED HISTORY.
AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I GOT TO COLLEGE THAT I REALLY, UM, LEARNED
[03:10:01]
A CRITICAL UNDER CRITICAL EDUCATION OF, OF WHAT HAS REALLY HAPPENED AND WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING.AND JUST, YOU KNOW, I WAS OFFERED THE BIRTHRIGHT TRIP THERE AND I ACTUALLY, I, I DIDN'T END UP GOING AND I WAS, YOU KNOW, TO ME, I, I JUST, I COULDN'T FATHOM HOW ME AS AN AMERICAN, AMERICAN JEW, UM, WHOSE FAMILY, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M AN ASHKENAZI JEW WHOSE ANCESTORS IMMIGRATED FROM TO AMERICA AFTER FLEEING PERSECUTION FROM THE SOVIET UNION.
AND LIKE HOW I COULD GO TO ANOTHER LAND THAT I'VE NEVER STEPPED FOOT IN AND HAVE MORE RIGHTS IN THAT LAND THAN THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS CONSISTENTLY.
I JUST COULDN'T SQUARE THOSE TWO THINGS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I I I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT OUR ORIGINAL LETTER AND RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE HAD THE LEVEL OF, UM, JUST CRITICISM AND BACKLASH AND THINGS FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM THOSE WHO HOLD POWER.
AND TO ME, THAT JUST REALLY SPEAKS MORE TO JUST THE NEED TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE.
AND I, I KNOW, UM, I KNOW THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANNA SEE, UM, DEATH AND GENOCIDE AND DEVASTATION AND, UM, I I BELIEVE TRULY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PROPAGANDA WORKS.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LONG HISTORY OF, OF, UM, INFORMATION, RIGHT? THAT CONDITIONS THE WAY WE SEE THE WORLD.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I CALL ON FOLKS TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES AND TO CONTINUE TO LEARN AND LISTEN.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO SAY SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, AS FAR AS THE, THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATION ON THE FLOOR, UM, I CAN DEFINITELY, UM, GET BEHIND THAT.
I DON'T, I I, I DON'T OPPOSE ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID THOUGH.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED A NEW LETTER.
SO I, I, I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND A LETTER OR A SPECIAL MEETING.
LIKE IF THESE ARE THE POINTS, UM, I THINK THAT WE CAN ADOPT THESE TONIGHT.
UM, I THINK WITH THE, THE, UM, THE EXCEPTION OF CONVENING, UM, CONVENING FOLKS.
SO I THINK A, A WORK AROUND THAT AND HOW I WOULD PERHAPS MAYBE A FRIENDLY TO THE MOTION.
UM, HOLD ON, LET ME JUST SEE IT ON THE SCREEN REALLY QUICK.
UM, FOR, FOR CONTEXT FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED, AND I'M OPEN TO CREATIVITY HERE 'CAUSE WE'VE TRIED TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
'CAUSE IDEALLY, I'M, I'M WITH EVERYONE.
LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO GET SOMETHING PRODUCED TONIGHT AND JUST SEND IT TO CITY COUNCIL, BUT WE DO HAVE TO FOLLOW CERTAIN THINGS.
SO IF WE CAN JUST ALLOW FOR A FEW MOMENTS TO BRAINSTORM HERE.
BUT WHAT WE'VE TRIED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO OFFER.
WELL, LET ME FINISH MY, MY FRIENDLY, SO I, SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT WE NECESSARILY NEED A, A SPECIAL MEETING.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED A LETTER.
I THINK THAT WE CAN LIKE, ADOPT THESE ELEMENTS.
UM, LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SENDING TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UM, WITH THE RESPECT TO IDENTIFYING ORGANIZATIONS AND WHATNOT, WE CAN ASK CITY COUNCIL TO WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF EQUITY TO IDENTIFY, UM, LEADERS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS MOST IMPACTED BY THIS ISSUE TO HELP IN CRAFTING THE RESOLUTION THAT CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS.
SO WE DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED A LETTER FOR THAT.
I THINK, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY NEEDS TO DO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW AS IT RELATES TO CONVENING, UM, AND IDENTIFY, OR I DON'T THINK IT SAYS CONVENED, BUT IDENTIFYING ORGANIZATIONS, UM, I, I THINK THAT WE CAN TELL THE CITY COUNCIL THAT THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO AS WORK WITH THIS, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY IN THAT WAY.
SO BEFORE MOVING FORWARD, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING.
I'VE BEEN REFERRING TO THE RECOMMENDATION, AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD
[03:15:01]
ME ON THE MIC, UH, SAY THIS, THE RECOMMENDATION AS A LETTER, RIGHT? I THINK THE RECOMMENDATION STANDS ON ITS OWN, RIGHT? AND JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE, THE PROCESS, RIGHT? IT STILL HAS TO BE WRITTEN DOWN IN A FORMAL WAY AND EVENTUALLY EVEN A MEMO THAT GOES IN, IT'S, THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN REFERRING TO THE LETTER, BUT WE'RE REFERRING TO THE SAME ITEM.SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO MOVE THIS OUT OF THIS COMMISSION TODAY, I'M ALL IN.
AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALL COMMISSIONERS, BUT, BUT, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT AS WE NAVIGATE THIS.
BUT WE STILL HAVE TO, THAT'S WHY THE CITY ATTORNEYS ADVISING US IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN FOLLOW.
SO I'M GONNA ASK, IS THERE A WAY, BASED ON WHAT COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ HAS RECOMMENDED IN THE CONTEXT THAT SHE PROVIDED TO MOVE THIS OUT OF THIS COMMISSION TONIGHT? RESPECTFULLY? NO.
AND LOOK, AND I DON'T, TO THE EXTENT THAT NO ONE WANTS TO COME BACK AND DO THIS AGAIN, I GET IT.
BUT WE NEED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW.
AND SO I DON'T WANNA BE MISLEADING SAYING THAT THE LETTER IS WHAT REQUIRES ANOTHER VOTE, BECAUSE IT WASN'T AGENDIZED, IT'S THE DIRECTION TO COUNCIL THAT REQUIRES ANOTHER VOTE.
THAT'S WHAT WAS NOT AGENDIZED, AND THAT IS OUTSIDE OF THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE AGENDA ITEM.
SO NO MATTER WHAT FORM THE DIRECTION TO COUNCIL TAKES, THAT REQUIRES ANOTHER VOTE THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE TONIGHT BECAUSE IT WASN'T PROPERLY AGENDIZED.
I'M NOT TRYING TO STOP THIS MESSAGE FROM GOING TO COUNCIL.
I'M JUST UNFORTUNATELY TELLING YOU THERE'S A PROCESS YOU NEED TO FOLLOW, WHICH WILL REQUIRE ANOTHER, ANOTHER MEETING.
OKAY? SO LET'S, UM, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MM-HMM,
I APP AND I APPRECIATE, UM, THE, THE EXPLANATION SO THAT FOLKS UNDERSTAND.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES, AND I, I GET, I'VE, I'VE BEEN ON ON PUBLIC COMMENT MANY TIMES, RIGHT? AND IT WASN'T UNTIL SERVING THE SEAT BEING INTRODUCED TO ALL OF THESE RULES AND ALL OF THESE LAWS THAT I CAN'T EVEN MEMORIZE.
THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN SPECIALIST HERE, THAT WE LEARNED THAT I'VE LEARNED HOW THE LEVERS OF GOVERNMENT AT A LOCAL LEVEL WORK.
AND THAT'S WHY I KEEP ON ASKING FOR TRANSPARENCY'S SAKE, BECAUSE WHEN I'M ON THE OTHER END, I DO THINK, WELL, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE THEY UP TO? WHAT ARE THEY DOING? WHERE ARE THEY MOVING? IT'S, WE HAVE A FRAMEWORK TO, TO, TO WORK WITH.
AND WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST, AND WE WERE CREATIVE BEFORE THIS MEETING AND WE'RE CREATIVE RIGHT NOW IN REAL TIME, FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S A WAY TO MOVE THIS OUT.
AND FROM WHAT WE'RE HEARING, THERE ISN'T.
SO THEN THE CREATIVE WHEELS WORK IN SPECIAL MEETING.
LET'S TRY TO GET A SPECIAL MEETING ON THE BOOKS, ASAP, AND THEN WE GET OUT.
SO WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THEN MOVE IT FORWARD, RIGHT? ADDITION.
SO, UM, MY QUEUING ISN'T WORKING, SO I'M JUST GONNA GO OFF VERBAL RIGHT NOW OF PLEASE POINT OF INFORMATION.
UM, I, I JUST WANT THIS EXPLAINED A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE, THIS IS A NEWER PRECEDENT.
MAYBE WE HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING IT CORRECTLY IN THE PAST, BUT WE HAVE OFTENTIMES MADE, UM, MOTIONS ON THE SPOT AND THEY'RE PASSED AND, AND ADOPT, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK FOR A SECOND MEETING.
SO CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT, ELABORATE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE SO I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE DIFFERENCE IS? SURE.
I HAVEN'T, I DON'T NORMALLY COVER THIS COMMISSION, SO I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST, BUT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT IT'S A JUDGMENT CALL.
BUT WHEN WE HAVE RECEIVING FILES, IN MY EXPERIENCE ACROSS SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS, WHEN WE HAVE JUDGMENT CALLS, UM, OR WHEN WE HAVE RECEIVING FILES, I SHOULD SAY, WE TAKE IT, OUR INTERPRETATION IS VERY NARROW.
IT'S FOR THE PURPOSES OF TRANSPARENCY.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND WHEN THEY READ AN AGENDA ITEM AND THEY SEE, RECEIVE AND FILE, THAT THEY ARE MIS NOT MISLED INTO THINKING THAT NO SERIOUS, LIKE NO FINAL FORMAL DIRECTION TO THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE TAKEN.
AND IN THIS CASE, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU PROPOSE TO DO.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME CONSENSUS TO DO IT, BUT WE NEED TO IZE IT TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND IF PEOPLE WANNA COME DOWN AND SPEAK FOR IT OR AGAINST IT, AGAIN, THEY'RE WELCOME TO DO SO.
SO COMMISSIONER COM, I'M GONNA ASK FOR DECORUM IN CHAMBERS.
THAT WAY WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS.
WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING TO THE WORK AND THE OUTCOME AND WE'LL JUST FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT.
AND WE'LL GET A SPECIAL MEETING AS SOON AS WE CAN.
BUT, UH, COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR, UH, COVINGTON HAS, UH, A COMMENT THAT HE, HE'D LIKE TO MAKE.
SO, WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW, THIS MOTION DOES NOT ERASE OR STOP THE CURRENT LETTER THAT'S AT CITY COUNCIL.
THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL LEVER, AN ADDITIONAL OPTION FOR THEM TO CONSIDER THE
[03:20:01]
CEASEFIRE.SO THE OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, IN MY OPINION, ARE TO MOVE THIS AS A SECOND OPTION FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER COMMUNITY AND US, UH, CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ADVOCATE THAT THEY AGENDIZE THE CEASEFIRE.
THE ONLY WAY THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN IS IF CITY COUNCIL NDS A CEASEFIRE, THIS MOTION DOES NOT ERASE OR STALL THE LETTER THAT'S CURRENTLY IN EACH OF ONE OF THEIR DESKS.
AND SO FOR THAT, I THINK I WANT, WE ARE STUCK IN THIS PROCESS AND BOUND BY THE LAW AND BOUND BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND WE HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN BUREAUCRACY.
BUREAUCRACY IS NEVER NICE, IT'S NEVER EASY, AND IT'S NEVER A SAFE PLACE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SPECIFIC GOALS, WE HAVE TO PARTICIPATE.
AND THESE ARE THE STEPS THAT ARE BEING TOLD TO US OF WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO.
SO AGAIN, THIS MOTION IS A SECOND OPTION.
IT DOES NOT STOP OR ERASE THE LETTER THAT'S ON THEIR DESK.
I WILL ENCOURAGE COMMUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE AND UTILIZE YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT BY CALLING YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND ASKING THEM TO AGENDIZE A CEASEFIRE.
WHETHER THEY DO IT, THAT'S ON THEM, BUT IN TERMS OF US AS A COMMISSION AND WHAT'S ON THE FLOOR.
THESE ARE POTENTIALLY TWO OPTIONS NOW FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.
SO, UH, ARE THERE, MY SCREEN ISN'T WORKING, SO I'M GONNA ASK TWO OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS? AND YOU CAN JUST RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND I, I DON'T, TERRY, DID YOU ACCEPT MY FRIENDLY THOUGH? SO I UNDERSTAND THE PART ABOUT THE, UM, THE, THE, UM, I'M SORRY THAT WE CAN'T DO IT TONIGHT.
UM, HOWEVER, I DID HAVE A FRIENDLY ABOUT CHANGING THE, UM, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY IDENTIFYING ORGANIZATIONS TO NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN.
THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VOTING ON, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO CITY COUNCIL WORK WITH OFFICE OF EQUITY TO DO.
SO, JUST TO GET CLARIFICATION, DO YOU WANNA DETANGLE THAT SECOND AL LET, LET ME FIND IT THE LAST STATEMENT AS A STANDALONE OR ERASE IT ALL ALTOGETHER.
I JUST WANNA CLARITY BEFORE I DECIDE TO ACCEPT IT OR NOT.
WELL, I GUESS I JUST, MAYBE I NEED CLARIFICATION THEN.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S ENOUGH TIME FOR ONE.
I DON'T, I WANT, I DO NOT WANT THAT TO BE A RUSH PROCESS.
I THINK THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY SHOULD TAKE THEIR TIME TO IDENTIFY LEADERS AND ENTITIES THAT CAN, UM, DO THIS APPROPRIATELY, HELP CRAFT THIS KIND OF CEASEFIRE STATEMENT WITH CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO I JUST DON'T WANT THAT TO HOLD UP THE PROCESS I SEE.
FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS.
UM, HERE'S WHAT I'M, I, I DO ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY, RIGHT? UM, THOSE FOUR BULLET POINTS, ONE THROUGH FOUR, THOSE ARE THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE ALIGNED TO THE FIRST PARAGRAPH THERE.
UM, AND IF WE COULD GET THAT TO CITY COUNCIL AND HYPOTHETICAL, RIGHT? CITY COUNCIL TAKES THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND GENERALIZES, UM, UM, A CONVERSATION, RIGHT? SO THEY CAN DEVELOP WHAT A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE CITY, CITY OF LONG BEACH.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, THAT LAST PIECE IN MY MIND TAKES EFFECT.
THAT DOES, THAT SHOULDN'T BE A PRECURSOR TO CITY COUNCIL POTENTIALLY, UH, IZING THIS, RIGHT? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE IN MY CLARIFICATION? NOT QUITE.
SO I DON'T WANT THE LAST CHARGE.
CHARGE OF OFFICE OF EQUITY, IDENTIFY ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOULD NOT NECESSARILY HAPPEN BEFORE THOSE FOUR POINTS ARE SENT TO CITY COUNCIL.
RIGHT? THAT SHOULD BE AFTER CITY COUNCIL HOPEFULLY GENERALIZES THIS.
UM, AND THEN FIGURES OUT WHAT LANGUAGE THEY WANT BY REACHING OUT TO, TO VARIOUS FOLKS.
SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I'M QUEUED UP.
I'VE BEEN QUEUED UP FOR 10 MINUTES.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T SEEN IF YOU'VE BEEN, I KNOW YOU'VE QUEUED UP.
I'M BEING, IF YOU'RE QUEUE UP FIRST, COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ, GO FOR IT.
HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING TONIGHT?
[03:25:01]
SORRY.UM, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND, UH, AND SPEAKING, UH, SEEING THE LINE OF, UH, OF HUMAN BEINGS FROM WHAT ONE WOULD CALL BOTH SIDES, UH, PEACEFULLY AND 99% CIVILLY, UH, UH, ARE LISTENING TO EACH OTHER, UH, WITHOUT YELLING.
UM, AND I'VE SEEN SOME OF YOU COME UP.
I'VE SEEN SOME OF EVERYONE COME UP AND, UH, UH, THEY HAVE THEIR THREE MINUTE SPEECH AND THEY SPEED READ IT DOWN TO ONE AND A HALF MINUTES SO WE CAN HEAR EVERYBODY.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKING'S HARD ENOUGH, BUT TO SPEAK ABOUT SUCH A PASSIONATE, IMPORTANT SUBJECT, I, I JUST, UH, I'VE, I'VE SPOKEN AT THAT, UH, AT THAT PODIUM A COUPLE TIMES.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL HERE TODAY.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, UH, COMING OUT AND, UH, SEEING YOUR PIECE, UH, THANKS TO THE MAYOR FOR INVITING YOU ALL TONIGHT.
WE USUALLY GET ABOUT THREE PEOPLE HERE.
I WANNA INVITE YOU ALL TO THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
BY ALL MEANS, BE THERE, PLEASE.
UH, UM, AND, UH, UH, AND THE MOST OF THE SHOUTOUTS ARE WHEN THE LAWYERS ARE TALKING.
AND IT ISN'T GOVERNMENT GREAT TO JUST SLOW DOWN WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT YOU'VE COME INTO THIS SANDBOX, INTO THIS PLAYGROUND, AND, AND, AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, UH, UH, UH, WE WANT, I THINK WE ALL AGREE ON, ON A CEASEFIRE, A, A, A STATEMENT.
BUT WE WANT TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT IS OKAY WITH THE LAWYERS THAT HERE ARE, THAT, THAT, THAT ARE HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IT CORRECTLY.
THERE'S THINGS CALLED ROBERTS RULES.
AND IF YOU DON'T DO IT RIGHT, THERE'S NO, IT'S ALREADY HARD ENOUGH TO GET THE COUNSEL TO PICK UP WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT IF YOU DON'T DO IT RIGHT, THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T LEGALLY PICK IT UP.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR RESPECTING THAT PROCESS, OR, OR, OR AT LEAST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, I JUST REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL, UH, UH, HERE TONIGHT.
BATS SAID IT BEST THAT, UH, UH, MY THOUGHT IS EVERYBODY DESERVES, UH, TO BE SAFE, OKAY? UH, EVERYBODY DESERVES TO BE HEARD.
AND, UH, I AM, I AM VERY PROUD, UH, OF, UH, OF, OF, OF THIS COMMISSION.
AND MY COMMISSIONERS THAT STAYED LATE TO KEEP A QUORUM.
AND WE, WE CAN'T, WE JUST GOTTA ALL WALK OUT AND IT'S, IT'S NOT A MEETING ANYMORE.
SO, THANK YOU GUYS FOR, UH, FOR STAYING LATE AND DOING THE WORK.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF STAFF AT THIS ONE FOR SOME REASON.
THANK YOU TO, UH, UH, ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES, THE OFFICERS HERE.
UH, UH, AND, AND I'M, I'M GLAD THAT, UH, I'M GLAD YOU GUYS MADE IT OUT TONIGHT.
THANK PUBLIC SPEAKING'S HARD FOR ME TOO.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ.
UM, I'VE BEEN NOTIFIED BY THE OFFICE STAFF THAT THE REASON THIS ISN'T QUEUING UP, JUST SO FELLOW COMMISSIONERS KNOW, IS THAT YOU GOTTA CLICK.
THIS IS A NEW SYSTEM, EVERYONE.
YOU GOTTA CLICK ON AGENDA ITEM FOUR, AND THEN ONCE YOUR AGENDA ITEM FOUR, YOU CAN QUEUE UP.
AND I'M MENTIONING THAT TO ENSURE THAT EVERY COMMISSIONER WHO WANTS TO SPEAK HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, AND THAT I DON'T MISS ANYONE.
SO IF EVERYONE COULD JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO CLICK ON AGENDA ITEM FOUR ON THEIR SCREENS, AND THEN YOU SHOULD SEE A BUTTON THAT SAYS, REQUEST TO SPEAK.
AND THAT WILL SHOW UP ON MY END, AND I'LL ACKNOWLEDGE YOU IF THERE IS ANY, UH, ANY COMMENT, ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ONCE, NO COMMENTS.
WELL, BEFORE WE ENGAGE IN A I VOTE, I ACTUALLY JUST QUEUED UP.
OH, YOU DID? QUEUE COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT AND SPOKE TONIGHT.
LIKE COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ SAID, PUBLIC SPEAKING IS VERY HARD.
UM, I'M A VERY SHY PERSON, SO I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU ALL.
UH, I JUST WANNA SAY, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHY COUNCIL HASN'T TAKEN UP OUR FIRST LETTER THAT WE SENT.
I THINK IT'S VERY DISHEARTENING, HONESTLY, LIKE AS A COMMISSIONER, LIKE IN MY COMMISSIONER CAPACITY, IN MY PERSONAL CAPACITY,
[03:30:01]
IT'S VERY UPSETTING, UM, TO SEE THE INACTION OF OUR MAYOR AND OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.I ALSO THINK, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE WE COULD SEND ALL THIS STUFF AGAIN, AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE GONNA TAKE IT UP.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE GOING TO AGENDIZE IT.
SO I DON'T WANT US TO KEEP ON REINVENTING THE WHEEL OR TRYING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT UP.
LIKE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE ALL THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEY'RE, DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE GONNA LISTEN TO US.
LIKE, UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE THAT'S JUST, THAT'S HOW IT IS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE GONNA LISTEN TO US.
UM, AND I, I DON'T WANT THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE TO GET DISHEARTENED.
UM, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE STOP APPLYING PRESSURE.
IT JUST MEANS WE APPLY PRESSURE HARDER.
WE KEEP OUR FOOTS ON THEIR NECK, AND WE DO NOT STOP UNTIL WE GET A CEASEFIRE.
UM, I, I'M BEING SIGNALED BY ANOTHER COMMISSIONER 'CAUSE OF THIS, THE SCREEN ISSUE.
UH, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? COMMISSIONER BUTLER? REALLY DO, PLEASE.
I TOO WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY AND THE END OF THE NIGHT, THE MESSAGES THAT I HEARD IS THE SAME THING.
IT'S THE SAME MESSAGE THAT YOU SEE ON MY HEAD, AS WELL AS WHAT I'M WEARING ACROSS MY HEART.
CAN WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BUTLER.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS BRINGS US TO A PIVOTAL MOMENT NOW THAT WE HAVE CLARITY ON BOTH THE PROCESS, THE MOTION THAT IS ALSO ON SCREEN, AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE, OF THE FRIENDLY AND CLARITY ON THAT, THAT, THAT SECOND OR THAT LAST STATEMENT.
UM, I NOW WANT TO ENGAGE IN THE VOTING PROCESS FOR THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND JUST RIGHT BEFORE WE DO THAT, UM, THE RUNNING THEME ACROSS THIS BODY IS, AGAIN, GRATITUDE.
AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TO UPLIFT THAT IT IS NOT EASY TO COME UP AND, UH, AND COMMENT.
UH, BUT AS MANY OF US KNOW, THE, THIS IS A MATTER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE.
AND THE THREE PILLARS OF THIS COMMISSION IS EQUITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND BUILDING HUMAN RELATIONS.
AND I HOPE THAT WITH THIS ADDITIONAL LETTER, IT CARVES OUT A PATHWAY FOR CITY COUNCIL TO AGENDIZE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND, UH, WE WILL, AFTER THE VOTE, I WILL ASK COMMISSIONERS FOR SCHEDULES.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT IN REAL TIME AS WELL.
AND WE'LL PUT A SPECIAL MEETING ON THE BOOKS WITH JUST ONE AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS VOTING FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION, RIGHT? THIS RECOMMENDATION TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE CLERK TO CALL FOR A VOTE CHAIR.
DOES EVERYONE SEE IT ON THEIR TABLET? WELL, I CALLED FOR THE VOTE, BUT I AM GETTING, UH, SORRY.
THIS PROCESS HERE, WE CALLED FOR THE VOTE, BUT THERE WAS A QUESTION FOR COMMISSIONER, UM, PROCESS WISE, CAN WE TAKE THAT QUESTION? Y YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
COMMISSIONER GUT, YOU HAD A QUESTION? YEAH, TWO QUESTIONS ACTUALLY.
I, UM, I JUST WANNA DOUBLE CHECK AND BE CLEAR ON WHAT THE FINAL LANGUAGE IS THAT WE'RE VOTING ON.
'CAUSE I, I KNOW IT WASN'T UPDATED IN REAL TIME, RIGHT? SO CAN WE JUST HAVE THAT READ BACK WHAT THE, THE FINAL MOTION WAS AFTER MY FRIENDLY WAS ACCEPTED? AND THEN, UM, IT, MY OTHER QUESTION, IS THERE ANY WAY TO IDENTIFY A DATE FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING RIGHT NOW? BEFORE THE MEETING'S? BEFORE THE MEETING'S OVER? THAT'S WHAT HE SAID.
OH, I THOUGHT HE SAID IN REAL TIME.
WELL, WE CAN, WE CAN, I'M, I'M OPEN TO THIS, RIGHT? I'M VERY OPEN.
UM, IF WE WANT, DO YOU WANT, SO YOU'RE RECOMMENDING THE SPEC, THE SPECIAL MEETING.
IDENTIFY THE DATE BEFORE WE VOTE.
YEAH, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE ABOUT TO BEFORE WE'RE GONNA VOTE AND THEN WE WILL WE'LL, BEFORE THE MEETING'S OVER.
THAT WAS MY CLARIFICATION, CORRECT.
YES, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT TONIGHT.
SO ONE LAST TIME, IF WE CAN HAVE THE MOTION ON THERE.
UH, WE'RE DOING THE VOTE IN PROGRESS, MAYBE HAVE ONE SCREEN VOTE IN PROGRESS AND THAT MOTION ON SCREEN.
I NEED TO READ THE UPDATED VERSION.
THAT'S THE ASK IS NOT THE UPDATED.
THAT'S NOT, YEAH, THAT'S NOT UPDATED IS, SO COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ, YOU'RE NOT, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THIS MOTION? BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE FRIENDLY, WHICH WAS ACCEPTED, DIDN'T REALLY CHANGE
[03:35:01]
LANGUAGE, IT MADE IT CLEAR THAT YOU DID NOT WANT THAT LAST PART ASKING THE OFFICE OF EQUITY TO IDENTIFY ORGANIZATIONS THAT THAT WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN THE REST OF IT, RIGHT? IT, THE REST OF IT COULD MOVE FORWARD.AND THE LAST PART WOULD COME AFTER YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH A VOTE AND COMMUNICATING TO THE COUNCIL.
SO IT WASN'T CLEAR TO ME THAT LANGUAGE NEEDED TO BE CHANGED GIVEN THAT CLARIFICATION.
IF THAT'S CLEAR, THEN THAT'S FINE.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER, UM, PIECE THAT I HAD MENTIONED WAS AROUND WRITING A LETTER AND THEN CHAIR CLARIFIED.
IT'S NOT ACTUALLY A LETTER, SO I JUST WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED ANOTHER LETTER.
I THINK WE JUST NEED THESE POINTS TRANSMITTED TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY THE NEXT, AT THE NEXT MEETING, THAT IS THE WAY THAT THE NEXT ITEM WILL COME BEFORE YOU.
IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE A LETTER.
JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK BEFORE I VOTE.
YEAH, AND I THINK AGAIN, UM, IT'S, THIS IS THE MOTION, RIGHT? THAT LAST PIECE WILL TAKE INTO EFFECT AFTER AND IF CITY COUNCIL ADDENDS THIS, RIGHT? AND WHAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING IS THIS LANGUAGE, I JUST KEEP ON SAYING LETTER, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE NEEDS TO BE FORMAL COMMUNICATION CITY COUNCIL.
AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE PERHAPS SOME OF THE CONFUSION IS, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON.
THERE IS NO FORMAL ELABORATE LETTER OTHER THAN INTRODUCING THIS RECOMMENDATION, RIGHT? I HOPE, HOPEFULLY THAT CLARIFIES FOR EVERYONE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE CAN NOW ENGAGE IN THE VOTING PROCESS.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE CARE OF THAT FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ, COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ, AND COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
DO YOU SEE IT? MY SCREEN'S FROZEN, BUT I CAN GIVE A VERBAL YES.
COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ, CAN I GET A VERBAL PLEASE? I SEE IT.
COULD YOU, COULD YOU CONFIRM THE VOTES ON THAT? YOU UNANIM? WERE THERE ANY NO VOTES ON THAT? I SAW YOU UNANIM, BUT CAN YOU PUT THAT ON THE SCREEN FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE? THANK YOU.
OH, WE CAN SEE IT, BUT THEY CAN, YEAH, I DON'T THINK THEY CAN SEE IT YET.
SO IT'S A UNANIMOUS VOTE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE HERE.
UM, THERE'S ONE MORE ORDER OF BUSINESS THAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH THAT IS, UH, OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE IS, IS SCHEDULING THIS SPECIAL MEETING.
SO IF COMMISSIONERS CAN TAKE A LOOK, I'VE, I'VE BEEN FACILITATING, SO I HAVEN'T CHECKED MY OWN CALENDAR, BUT I'M GONNA DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO FOR WHEN I CAN CHECK IN THE, THE SOONEST WE CAN MEET, I'M NOT SAYING THAT EVERYONE'S SCHEDULE LINES, BUT AS SOON AS WE CAN MEET PER THE LAW WOULD BE FRIDAY.
UM, I'M AVAILABLE AFTER I WORK.
EVERYONE ELSE HERE'S REGULAR AFTER FIVE.
I MEAN, SEE WHO'S AVAILABLE SO YOU CAN COME AND I'M LEAVING AT DO IT LIKE RIGHT, IF THERE'S SO MANY HOLIDAYS.
WHO'S AVAILABLE AT, AT FIVE? AND JUST THE REALITY OF WE HAVE SCHEDULES, RIGHT? THERE'S, THERE'S STUFF THAT ONLY FOR ONE HOUR, FIVE O'CLOCK.
WHO ONLY FOR ONE HOUR ON FRIDAY.
UM, WE NEED TO FIND A VENUE AS SOON AS WE FIND A THIS, IF THIS IS AVAILABLE, WE MEET HERE.
UM, AND IF IT'S NOT AVAILABLE, IT'LL BE AGENDIZED, IT'LL BE OUT IN THE PUBLIC.
IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'RE MEETING, UH, MY PRIORITY, THIS IS THE, THIS IS, THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S SPACE, RIGHT? THIS IS, UH, PREFER TO MEET HERE.
UM, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL CHECK THE CALENDAR AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE A LOCATION IDENTIFIED, WE'LL PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA.
[5. 23-51405 Recommendation to receive and file a report from current Ad Hoc Committees; discuss anticipated Ad Hoc Committees for upcoming projects; and, if appropriate, take action to dissolve or create Ad Hoc Committees. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
[6. 23-51406 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Office of Equity. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
OF THESE MEETINGS, THERE IS AN UPDATE FROM THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, AND THEN THERE'S AN UPDATE.THERE'S AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, BUT I WILL USE MY CHAIR PRIVILEGES TO JUST TABLE THOSE AGENDA ITEMS FOR LATER
[03:40:01]
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT.WE LISTEN, WE SYNTHESIZE THE RANGE OF THOUGHTS ON THIS MATTER, AND WE TAKE CONSIDERATION.
THIS IS GOVERNMENT AT WORK AND PULLING LEVERS AND FIGURING THINGS OUT FOR A BELOVED COMMUNITY OF LONG BEACH AND ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MAINTAIN A, A VIBRANT, SAFE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU EVERYONE, WE APPRECIATE IT.
UM, AND I NOW OFFICIALLY, UM, CLOSE THE MEETING.
BEFORE WE DO ADJOURN, WE DO NEED TO TAKE NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT.
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Equity and Human Relations Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
PUBLIC COMMENT, FORMALITY.SO IF THERE'S ANY NON AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.
NOW, IF THERE'S ANY NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM.
PUBLIC COMMENT CHAIR, THAT CONCLUDES NON-AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMENT AND I OFFICIALLY CALLED THIS MEETING.
[ADJOURNMENT]
SO WE'RE ADJOURNING.WE, WE MAY HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.