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WELCOME EVERYONE.WE'RE GONNA CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 10 0 3 ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12TH.
UH, IRENE, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MICHELLE VALENCIA.
DEAR JUDY CLARK, DEAR CAROLYN HINES DI SMITH DEAR WILLIAM SMITH, HERE, WE HAVE A QUORUM.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONER HINES IS UNEXCUSED AT THIS POINT, AND WE ARE COMMISSIONER SMITH, CAN YOU PLEASE LEAVE US IN THE PLEDGE? THAT'D BE MY HONOR.
IF PLEASE RISE, PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
AND I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
COMMISSIONER CHIN, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE MISSION STATEMENT? WE ADVOCATE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LONG BEACH, CULTURALLY DIVERSE OLDER POPULATION BY EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE AND SERVICES RELATED TO EDUCATION, HEALTH, HOUSING, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, SAFETY, TECHNOLOGY, AND LANGUAGE ACCESS.
COMMISSIONER CLARK, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT? YES, WE, THE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ON TRADITIONAL AND SACRED LANDS OF MANY INDIGENOUS GROUPS.
WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR STRENGTH, PERSEVERANCE, AND RESILIENCE AND THEIR SPIRIT.
MAY WE STRIVE TO ALWAYS HONOR AND RESPECT THE WISDOM OF ELDERS? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CLARK.
UM, CAN I GET A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING MEETING FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH? SO MOVED.
CAN I GET A SECOND? SECOND? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS? OKAY, THEN LET'S TAKE A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE FEBRUARY MINUTES.
ANYONE OPPOSED? AND ANYONE ABSTAINING? OKAY, THE MOTION CARRIES.
UH, THE FEBRUARY MINUTES ARE APPROVED AND NOW IT'S, HEIDI WILL BE, UH, GIVING US HER UPDATE, PLEASE.
UM, I JUST COUPLE QUICK UPDATES THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN OUR SENIOR PROGRAMMING.
SO WE'RE GETTING, UM, READY OUR OLDER AMERICANS MONTH, WHICH IS IN MAY.
SO HOPEFULLY NEXT MEETING I'LL BE ABLE TO KIND OF GIVE A LIST OF ALL OUR ACTIVITIES AND, UM, PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE OFFERING THAT MONTH.
WE'RE JUST FINALIZING SOME DETAILS, UM, AS A GROUP FROM ALL OF OUR, UM, SENIOR PROGRAMMING SITES.
BUT A COUPLE THINGS I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, THIS MONTH, UM, JUST IN GENERAL FOR LIKE, UM, SENIOR PROGRAMS. UM, HERE AT THE, UM, SENIOR CENTER, WE HAVE, UM, 1 0 7, WHICH IS DOWN BELOW.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE ARTISTS THE MONTH AND THE ARTISTS IN THE ROUND PROGRAM.
SO WE INVITE DIFFERENT, UM, ARTISTS IN THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND SHOWCASE THEIR WORK.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, PARTNERSHIPS.
WE HAVE ONE WITH COMPASSIONATE ARTISTS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD OF THEM.
UM, THEY'RE A, UM, PROFESSIONAL, THEY'RE PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS THAT BASICALLY, UM, GET TOGETHER AND THEY COME HERE MONTHLY.
AND THEY ALSO WILL COME TO LIKE ANY SPECIAL EVENT THAT WE HAVE FOR FREE AND PLAY JAZZ MUSIC.
AND THEY'RE ALL PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS.
SO IT'S A NICE PROGRAM TO GET SOME MUSIC AND, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, UM, FOR OUR SENIORS TO PARTICIPATE, TO LISTEN TO.
AND IT'S JUST A GOOD, UM, PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM THAT, UM, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TOO.
AND A COUPLE OTHER PARTNERSHIPS WE ARE DOING, UM, WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FAIR HOUSING FOUNDATION.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, VIA TEAMS, LIKE WE GET ON THERE AND TALK ABOUT HOUSING ISSUES.
WE HAVE SOME UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS, UM, DIABETES TO THE STATE, PLANNING, THE CAREGIVERS, OUR PEOPLE TOO, UM, TO, UM, SENIOR IAH, UM, SENIOR PROGRAMS WITH B.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE ASK PEOPLE TO COME IN AND DO PRESENTATIONS.
UM, IN OUR NEWSLETTER WE'RE ASKING, UM, WE ALWAYS TAKE VOLUNTEERS.
SO IF YOU KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO EITHER ARE RETIRED TEACHERS, WE ALWAYS WANT ESL SPANISH CLASSES OR, UM, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES ARE KIND OF ONE THING THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT TEACHERS OR DIFFERENT VOLUNTEERS TO COME IN, UM, TO TEACH DIFFERENT CLASSES.
SO IF THERE'S SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SOME OF OUR SENIOR PROGRAMS, PLEASE LET EM BE KNOW.
UM, ANOTHER THING WE'VE DONE IS, UM, DURING, UM,
[00:05:01]
2025, WE MADE OUR PARKING PASSES HERE, SENIOR FREE.IT WAS, UM, SOMETHING WHERE THE SENIORS WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO PARK HERE, BUT, UM, IT JUST WAS HARDSHIP ON SOME SENIORS.
SO WE, UM, TOOK THAT DECISION TO MAKE IT, UH, FREE.
SO THEY GET NOW ONE PARKING PASS FOR THEIR VEHICLES FREE HERE.
THEY STILL HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME GUIDELINES THAT YOU HAVE TO BE OVER 50 TO PARK HERE AND STUFF.
SO IT'S NOT FREE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IT'S FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS THAT COME TO THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND THE LAST I WANTED TO, UM, JUST KIND OF LET YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UM, I KNOW LAST MONTH I TALKED ABOUT OUR BLACK HISTORY, UM, MONTH AND EVENTS.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF DO A RECAP OF, UM, THE MONTH WAS GREAT, BUT OUR LAST EVENT WAS ON THE 28TH, UM, UH, FRIDAY, THE LAST FRIDAY OF, OF FEBRUARY.
AND WE HAD ABOUT 150 PEOPLE HERE TO WATCH THE SHOW.
UM, IT WAS A SHOW THAT INVITED DIFFERENT ACTORS AND SINGERS.
UM, THERE WAS SOME LIKE ETTE, LITTLE LIKE PLAYS, UM, UM, SINGING.
WE HAD MARSHALL MIDDLE SCHOOL HERE DOING DANCING.
AND, UM, PUT ON LINE DANA CLARK, OUR SUPERVISOR, AND ALSO WE HAD A VOLUNTEER, DR. ANDREWS, WHO UM, ACTUALLY KIND OF DIRECTED IT AND STUFF.
AND SO WE GOT RAVE REVIEWS, UM, AND THEY HAD DINNER AND STUFF.
SO IT WAS JUST A REALLY GREAT EVENT THAT WE'RE HOPING TO CONTINUE.
IT WAS JUST HIGHLIGHTING, UM, THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH, MALCOLM MONTH, WE HAD THE SCAVENGER HUNT, WE HAD AN ART EXHIBIT, WE HAD ART SHOWS, WE HAD MOVIES.
THIS ONE MONTH IS WE MONTH AND WE HAVE SOME EXCITING THINGS, UM, GOING ON HERE THIS MONTH TOO.
SO WHEN YOU LEAVE, YOU WANT A NEWSLETTER TO COME VISIT SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS HERE? THIS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
CAN I HAVE A, UH, MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE HEIDI'S REPORT? SO MOVED.
AND CAN I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? AND ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL RIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING HEIDI'S REPORT.
ANYONE OPPOSED? ANYONE? ABSTAINING? THE MOTION CARRIES.
WE ARE RECEIVING AND FILING HEIDI'S REPORT.
UM, NOW, COMMISSIONER SMITH, CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE OUR GUEST AR UH, GUEST SPEAKER? WELL COMMISSIONERS.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST TODAY, RICH ARCH BOLT.
UM, HE GAVE ME A 10 PAGE BIO, WHICH I DON'T THINK I CAN GET IT ALL IN, BUT, UM, I'M GONNA GIVE IT FROM MY PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE.
AND IT SAYS RIGHT HERE, HE JOINED THE PRESS TELEGRAM IN 1978 AS THE MANAGING EDITOR AND WAS APPOINTED TO EXECUTIVE EDITOR IN 1997.
AND IN 2010, HE BECAME IN HIS NEW ROLE AT THE PRESS TELEGRAM AS A PUBLIC EDITOR AND COLUMNIST.
SO I GUESS HE JUST CAN'T HELP HIMSELF FROM WRITING BECAUSE THE FIRST NINE PAGES ARE ALL OF HIS, UM, EDITORIAL AND, UM, BEAUTIFUL ACHIEVEMENTS IN LITERATURE AND ALL OF HIS AWARDS.
THE WHOLE SECOND PAGE IS HIS AWARDS.
SO, BUT IF HE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THAT, THAT'D BE FINE.
AND I KNOW HE WANTS TO TALK AND HE DOESN'T WANT ME TO TALK ANYMORE.
WHAT DO YOU SAY, BILL? I LOVE LISTENING TO YOU.
IT'S ONLY BEEN FOUR YEARS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS COMING UP, I WAS STARTED IN CIRCULATION.
THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, NEWSPAPER CARRIERS AND THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE BOTTOM RUNG OF SOCIETY AS WERE RICH SEEMED AS JUST AS INTERESTED AND FASCINATED WITH TALKING TO OUR NEWSPAPER CARRIERS WHO WERE PUTTING THE PAPERS IN THE RACKS OR DELIVERING THE HOMES AS, AS HE WAS TO THE PUBLISHERS AND THE EDITORS AND THE MAYORS AND THE GOVERNORS.
AND I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHY HE SEEMS TO BE FASCINATED WITH SUCH A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE, BUT HE DOES LEFT YOU LEFT OUT THERE IN MY BIOGRAPHY.
HOW I GOT STARTED IN THIS BUSINESS WAS AS A PAPER BOY IN CHICAGO.
I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD, FAMILY OF EIGHT CHILDREN.
OUR MOTHER DIED AT 34 OF BREAST CANCER.
OH, PROBABLY NO MAMMOGRAMS THEN.
UH, BUT WE WERE RAISED BY, UH, A TOUGH, UH, WOMAN WHO WAS NOT A TOUGH LOVE.
MY GRANDMOTHER, GRANDFATHER IN, UH, LOMBARD, ILLINOIS.
AND SHE TOLD ME, ONE, I HAD TO BE AN ALTAR BOY IN CHURCH 'CAUSE SHE WAS A DEVOUT CATHOLIC.
AND TWO, YOU'VE GOTTA GET A JOB.
SO I BECAME A PAPER BOY AT SEVEN YEARS OLD, GETTING UP AT FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO GET THE PAPER.
AND I DELIVERED LIKE 40 PAPERS A DAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS SEVEN.
AND THAT'S HOW I GOT INTO THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS.
[00:10:01]
ANOTHER, THAT'S SORT OF ANOTHER STORY.I COULD TALK ABOUT THAT FOR AN HOUR OR TWO.
I DO HAVE TO, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR INVITING ME, AND ESPECIALLY YOU BILL, UH, 'CAUSE I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR SO LONG AND I KNOW PHYLLIS AND I KNOW KAREN OVER HERE.
I'VE WRITTEN STORIES AND COLUMNS ABOUT BOTH OF 'EM.
AND THEY'RE SUCH, THEY'RE AMAZING WOMEN, UH, WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS FOR, FOR ALL THAT THAT THEY HAVE DONE.
AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT FOR, UH, A LITTLE MINUTE.
BUT I DO WANNA SAY, I'M LOOKING AT THE CLOCK BECAUSE THIS IS SO INTERESTING.
AND 11 O'CLOCK FROM 11 TO, UH, 1230, I'M SUPPOSED TO BE MEETING WITH MARCEL LEY.
I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW MARCEL FROM THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
WELL, THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GETS, UH, MONEY.
OH, THEY, WE DON'T CALL IT MONEY ANYMORE.
YOU KNOW, I, WHY DON'T WE SAY MONEY? OH, WE GET THE FUND.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, BUT IT, ANYWAY, UH, THERE ARE FOUR WOMEN, ALL WOMEN WHO NOW RUN THE LONG, THE, UH, MIAMI, UH, KNIGHT FOUNDATION, WHICH IS NAMED AFTER JOHN AND JAMES KNIGHT, WHO WERE BROTHERS WHO STARTED A NEWSPAPER EMPIRE IN AKRON, OHIO WITH THE AKRON BEACON JOURNAL.
THEY ENDED UP BUYING THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, THE, UH, PAPER IN CHICAGO, THE MIAMI HERALD, WHERE I WORKED IN FLORIDA, ET CETERA.
THEY DIED AS LIKE BILLIONAIRES.
AND THEY LEFT THEIR ESTATE TO THIS FOUNDATION, WHICH NOW IS HELPING HUNDREDS OF NON-PROFITS, UH, ORGANIZATIONS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING THE LONG BEACH, BECAUSE THE PRESS TELEGRAM USED TO BE A KNIGHT RITER PAPER.
AND SO THEY DIDN'T WANT TO ABANDON US BECAUSE THERE IS NO KNIGHT RITER ANYMORE.
AND ALL THE PAPERS NOW ARE OWNED BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE, SAN JOSE, ET CETERA.
SO, UH, BUT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE MEETING WITH 'EM.
AND MARCEL EPLEY, WHO I GREW UP WITH, OR SHE GREW UP WITH ME AT THE PRESS TELEGRAM AND WITH PHIL, SHE WAS THE MARKETING DIRECTOR OF THE PRESS TELEGRAM, I FOLLOWED, FOLLOWED HER AS THE MARKETING, THE LONG BEACH TRANSIT, RIGHT? AND SHE'S NOW THE CEO OF THE, UH, OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WHICH HAS ASSETS OF ABOUT $90 MILLION.
AND YOU KNOW, THEY HELP THE, UH, WITH NONPROFITS THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE CITY, ALL OF WHICH I'M SORT OF GONNA TOUCH ON AND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
UH, BUT I TOLD BILL, IS THERE ANY WAY, AND WHEN I FIRST TALKED TO IRENE, IRENE SAID, YOU'VE GOT 15 MINUTES.
I CAN'T SAY MY NAME IN 15 MINUTES.
THAT WAS BEFORE THIS MEETING, IRENE, THAT I'M SUPPOSED TO, NOW I THINK I'LL TAKE 15.
UH, BUT ANYWAY, SO HERE'S THE OTHER THING.
AS PART OF MY TIME IS CONCERNED, I DO WRITE A COLUMN EVERY SUNDAY.
AND GUESS WHAT I'M GONNA WRITE ABOUT THIS SUNDAY? I'M GONNA WRITE ABOUT YOU GUYS.
I'M GONNA WRITE ABOUT THIS COMMISSION, WHAT THIS COMMISSION DOES.
AND SO I'M GONNA WANNA KIND OF INTERVIEW YOU A LITTLE BIT, UH, WHEN I GET THROUGH TALKING, I MEAN, YOU CAN TALK, INTERVIEW ME TOO, BUT THAT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT EXTRA TIME.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE DONE, IRENE, SORT OF BY 11 OR SO.
UH, THIS OTHER MEETING WITH MARCEL LEY IS AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, WHICH IS WHAT, 10, 15 MINUTES AWAY.
BUT THESE PEOPLE, THEY'RE THE KEY PEOPLE OF THIS FOUNDATION, WHICH AGAIN, GIVES FUNDS MONEY TO NOT ONLY NEWSPAPERS, BUT TO NON-PROFITS, YOU KNOW, ET CETERA.
UH, THE FOUNDATION MAY EVEN GIVE SOME MONEY HELPING AGING, UH, PEOPLE IN LONG BEACH.
THAT'S ONE THING I'M GONNA ASK THEM BECAUSE THEY GIVE MONEY TO ALL KINDS OF, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, AND IT'S NOT JUST NEWSPAPERS AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA, UH, I'LL TRY TO LIMIT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
'CAUSE BILL KNOWS ME, AND I KNOW IF KAREN DOES, PHYLLIS, I COULD TALK FOREVER, COULDN'T I? BILL YOU LOVE THAT ABOUT YOU, RICH.
WELL, I LOVE TALKING, I LOVE COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE.
[00:15:01]
ALL ABOUT, ISN'T IT? IT'S TALKING TO PEOPLE.OR WHAT ELSE ARE WE HERE FOR? WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING? YOU KNOW, LIVING IN A CAVE OR SOMETHING.
AND, UM, BUT ON THIS ISSUE OF AGING, IT NOW HAS BECOME VERY PERSONAL FOR ME.
AND I'M GONNA ASK SOME, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, BUT I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, BILL, I'M NOT, YOU CAN'T ANSWER.
BUT I DO WANT TO ASK PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW ME SO WELL, MICHELLE, HOW OLD DO YOU THINK I AM IN YOUR EIGHTIES? WHAT DO YOU THINK, NORMA? YOUR SEVENTIES? I AGREE WITH MICHELLE.
YOU DON'T KNOW, DO YOU? NOT EXACTLY.
OH, YOU DO? OH, FORGET THAT ONE.
SO I WON'T, I WON'T SAY
SEE, THAT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I FIND NOW, AS I GET INTO THIS KIND OF ADVANCED STAGE, AND AS A, AS A REPORTER, BASICALLY FOR THE NEWSPAPER, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WE DO IN ALMOST EVERY STORY WE DO IS WE LIST SOMEBODY'S AGE.
I MEAN, AGE IS, I LEARNED THIS IN HIGH SCHOOL, IN MY HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER.
IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE FIVE WS, YOU KNOW, AND YOU SAY IF SOMEONE'S 15 OR THEY'RE 80, BUT AS I GET OLDER, AND I'M WRITING THIS COLUMN NOW, AND I'M NOW WRITING, AS OPPOSED TO BEING THE EDITOR OF THE PAPER, AND I'LL ASK PEOPLE ALL THE TIME I'M WRITING ABOUT THEM, I'LL SAY, WELL, SHEILA, WELL, HOW OLD ARE YOU? AND 90% OF THE TIME, THE ANSWER IS, WHY DO YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT? WHY DO YOU NEED THAT? AND THEY'LL SAY, THIS'S, JUST A FACT.
THERE'S A PERSON WHO WORKS AT THE NEWSPAPER.
I'M GONNA MENTION HER NAME, BUT PLEASE, THIS IS ALL OFF THE RECORD, OKAY? YOU GUYS CAN'T USE THAT.
I'M SAYING DON'T PUT THIS IN THE MINUTES, I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT THE MEETING IS RECORDED BEING RECORDED.
ALRIGHT, WELL, I'M GONNA, I'LL WHISPER THIS, BUT I, THIS PERSON GOT A, A SENIOR CITIZEN AWARD FROM LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE.
YOU KNOW, THE AWARDS THEY GIVE EVERY YEAR THAT, UH, AND SO I DID A COLUMN ON HER AND I SAID, BY THE WAY, HOW OLD ARE YOU? AND SHE SAYS, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO PUT THAT IN THERE FOR? AND I SAID TO THIS PERSON TO, I SAID, SHIRLEY, YOU WORK AT THE PRESS TELEGRAM AND YOU'VE WORKED THERE FOR 35 YEARS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT SHIRLEY WILD, WILD
AND I SAID, I SAID, SHIRLEY, I'VE GOT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHY CAN'T I USE YOUR NAME? WELL, WHAT DO YOU NEED THAT FOR? AND ANOTHER EXAMPLE, THAT SAME, UH, UH, ORGANIZATION GAVE AN AWARD TO THIS MAN AND THIS MAN, HE IS MAYBE THE MOST POWERFUL, MOST WELL-KNOWN ATTORNEY IN LONG BEACH, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, MAYBE CALIFORNIA MULTIMILLIONAIRE, ET CETERA.
SO I ASKED HIM, I SAID, BY THE WAY, SKIP, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, SKIP KEITH, SKIP KEEL.
I SAID, HOW OLD ARE YOU? SKIP.
HE SAYS, DO YOU HAVE TO PUT THAT IN THE PAPER,
I THINK IT WAS VANITY, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER THING.
BUT WHAT SKIP WAS LIKE, WHY WOULD HE CARE ABOUT SOMEONE'S AGE? AND GUESS WHAT HE SAID? HE SAID, I'M STILL IN THE COURTROOM.
I STILL, YOU KNOW, HE'S IN TRIALS AND HE, HE GETS NEW CLIENTS ALL THE TIME.
BUT HE, HE GETS CLIENTS, NEW CLIENTS, AND HE SAYS, WHEN HE'S NEGOTIATING, EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM IS ALWAYS YOUNGER THAN HE IS.
AND HE, HE'S SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT HE THINKS HE DOESN'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT HE THINKS THEY ARE THINKING, OH, HE'S 85.
HE'S NOT AS GOOD AS HE USED TO BE.
HE'S, UH, HAS BEEN, OR, OR THEY START THINKING ALL THAT AGE DISCRIMINATION STUFF IN HIS CASE, AND BOTH OF THEIR CASES, AND I DON'T ALWAYS DO THIS, BUT I I I JUST SAID THOSE TWO WERE IN THEIR EIGHTIES.
I DIDN'T GIVE THEIR ACTUAL AGE ONE THOUGH.
NOW IS 88 OR 89, AND THE OTHER IS 87.
SO YOU CAN, THIS IS LIKE THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO IN MY CASE, I USED TO THINK
[00:20:01]
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN CHICAGO WITH THESE EIGHT, EIGHT BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND A GRANDMOTHER WHO WAS 60 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE TOOK US ON AFTER OUR MOTHER HAD DIED.I HAVE SINCE ASKED WOMEN WHO ARE 60 AND OLDER, HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD'VE TAKEN ON EIGHT CHILDREN? UH, AND RAISED THEM? WOULD YOU HAVE DONE THAT? EVERYONE HAS SAID, ARE YOU KIDDING? OF COURSE NOT.
BUT SHE DID THAT AT, AT 60, SHE DIED AT 73.
I AM A, I HATE TO, I HATE TO SAY THIS BECAUSE IT SOUNDS SO TERRIBLE.
I MEAN, I USED TO THINK 60 WAS OLD.
I USED TO, WHEN I, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE 14, 20, 30, EVEN 40, I'M THINKING I'M GONNA BE 60.
THAT FOOD, THAT'S GONNA REALLY BE OLD.
I WAS BORN ON, UH, JULY 7TH, 1938.
EVEN WHEN I SAY THAT, IT'S LIKE I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO SOME PEOPLE THAT I WAS BORN IN 1938, OR THAT WASN'T 1838.
AND, UH, AND THE REASON I'M BRINGING THAT UP, BECAUSE TALKING TO YOU ALL, AND, AND I WRITE ABOUT THIS AGING ISSUE AND, AND THE PROBLEM WITH AGING, UH, PEOPLE, ET CETERA, IS THAT I AM PERSONALLY FINDING OUT SO MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT CONFRONT THE ELDERLY.
I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY ELDERLY.
YOU KNOW, THE, ALL THESE WORDS YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY ANYMORE.
AND, UH, AND THAT EVERYTHING VARIES FROM PHYSICAL, UH, WEAKENING OF THE LEG MUSCLES.
I TOLD PHIL, UH, PAT AND I WENT ON A, A VACATION TO ITALY ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS AGO.
AND SHE SAID, YOU'VE GOT TO GET A CANE BECAUSE OF THE COBBLESTONE.
AND I, BEING A MAN, YOU KNOW, MASCUL, I SAID, I DON'T NEED ANYBODY.
WELL, I DID GET THE CANE AND IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I EVER DID.
I MEAN, IT, IT WAS REALLY HANDY.
NOT ONLY JUST WALKING, BUT JUST, JUST STANDING UP.
I FIND WHEN I JUST STAND UP, LIKE I WAS, WHEN I CAME HERE, I WAS STANDING FOR FIVE, 10 MINUTES AND I STARTED FEELING I WANTED MY CANE SO I COULD SORT OF BALANCE THAT BALANCING ISSUE.
SO ANYWAY, PHYSICALLY, I NOW HAVE TWO CANES.
MY WIFE ASKED ME THIS MORNING, DO YOU HAVE YOUR CANE? YOU GOTTA HAVE YOUR CANE.
I SAID, NAH, NAH, I DON'T NEED IT FOR, I DON'T NEED IT FOR, FOR THEM BECAUSE I'M NOT WALKING THAT FAR.
AND I SORT OF REALLY AM NOT, I DON'T SORT OF NEED THAT.
UH, THERE, THERE ARE JUST OTHER THINGS, UH, PHYSICALLY MY HEARING, UH, I GOT THESE HEARING AIDS, WHICH I GOT TUNED UP FOR THE HIGHEST TELL US.
CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING? HELLO? YOU SAID HELLO.
DIDN'T YOU, YOU WANTED ME TO SAY IT LOUDER, BUT I CAN, I CAN HEAR IN HERE.
AND IT'S BECOME A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE WITH MY, WITH MY WIFE AND, UH, THE TWO DAUGHTERS WHEN THEY EVEN COME OVER.
'CAUSE I DON'T WEAR THESE IN THE MORNING.
I ONLY WEAR THESE WHEN I'M LIKE, NOW, IF I DIDN'T HAVE 'EM IN NOW, I COULDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
I'M NOT DEAF EXACTLY, BUT CLOSE, CLOSE TO IT.
UM, AND THE, THE LAST THING THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT PERSONALLY, THAT AFFECTS ME, AND I'M, UH, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT OFTEN, BUT I, I RECOGNIZE IT IN MYSELF SOMETIMES, BUT I CERTAINLY SEE IT IN A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT I WRITE ABOUT.
UH, AS YOU GET OLDER, AND THAT'S LONELINESS, UH, THE LONELINESS THAT COMES WHEN YOU ARE, WHEN YOU'RE BY YOURSELF AND I'M BY MYSELF AT NIGHT, UH, DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'VE HAD GLASSES SINCE I WAS 15 YEARS OLD.
THE HEARING, UH, OBVIOUSLY, BUT THE LONELINESS AS AN ISSUE.
AND I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT AND I WISH, I KNOW ONE THING THAT WOULD SOLVE THE AGING PROBLEM, I THINK OVERNIGHT, IF, IF THIS COULD HAPPEN.
UNFORTUNATELY IT CAN'T HAPPEN.
I HAVE MAYBE THE BEST WIFE, THE BEST PARTNER IN THE WORLD, BUT WE'VE BEEN MARRIED NOW FOR 52 YEARS.
[00:25:01]
ON APRIL 15TH.WE DELIBERATELY PICKED APRIL 15TH AS INCOME TAX DAY.
SO I WOULD NEVER FORGET WHEN I WAS MARRIED.
UM, WHICH, WHICH I USUALLY FORGET ONCE IN A WHILE.
I HAVE TO GO 52 FROM, UH, WAS 1972, WE GOT MARRIED.
BUT HERE'S MY POINT, WITHOUT MY WIFE PAT, I DON'T KNOW.
I COULD SURVIVE AND I WOULD LIVE, BUT MY QUALITY OF LIFE WOULD BE JUST MISERABLE AND LOUSY.
UH, SHE HELPS ME IN SO MANY WAYS.
AND ONE OF, ONE OF THE KEY WAYS THAT I'M GONNA BRING THIS UP AS AN ISSUE, AND I KNOW IT'S AN ISSUE YOU GUYS DEAL WITH, AND I WANT TO FIND OUT FROM YOU.
ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? ABOUT THIS? 'CAUSE MY SENSE IS THERE'S NOT MUCH HAPPENING, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CITY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CITY'S DOING.
I THINK THE CITY'S TRYING TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE OF TECHNOLOGY.
UH, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY THINGS ARE ON THIS LITTLE CELL PHONE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE WITHOUT TALKING TO PAT.
I'LL SAY, PAT, WHAT ABOUT THIS APP? I'M GETTING THIS APP.
I'M GETTING, UH, SOME SCAM THING, SOME UH, UH, SECURITY THING SAYING I'VE GOT A HUNDRED VIRUSES.
IS THAT, OH, SHE SAYS, FORGET THAT, THAT'S SCAM.
BUT SHE'S TELLING ME HOW TO USE THIS.
MY, MY, UH, 9-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER, ONE OF MY THREE GRANDDAUGHTERS, SHE'S NOW TELLING ME HOW TO USE THIS.
SHE WANTED TO USE IT WHEN SHE WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD.
SHE SAID, COVEY, MY NICKNAME'S CUBBY 'CAUSE OF THE CHICAGO CUBS.
SHE SAYS, COVEY, CAN I USE YOUR CELL PHONE? I SAID, YEAH, BUT LET ME GIVE, LET ME PUT MY PASSWORD IN.
AND SHE NOW USES IT FOR VIDEOS AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF.
BUT AS A SERIOUS MATTER, AND PAT KEEPS TELLING ME, ALMOST EVERY MONTH SHE DOES ALL THE BILLS IN HER HOUSE.
SHE HANDLES ALL THE FINANCIAL STUFF.
AND SHE SAYS, ALL THE BILLS ARE NOW ALMOST DONE ONLINE.
UH, AND SO WHEN I WAS TOLD HER WE WERE, I WAS COMING HERE, SHE SAYS, WE'LL, TALK ABOUT THIS TECHNOLOGY THING.
ASK HER WHAT ARE THEY DOING ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, I COULD NOT SURVIVE IN THIS NEW WORLD.
I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO CLASSES, I'D HAVE TO GO TO SOMETHING, BUT I JUST, I RELY ON PAT, YOU KNOW, FOR ANY QUESTION I HAVE.
AND PLUS SHE'S HANDLING, I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE WE ARE WITH MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, RETIREMENT ISSUES, PENSIONS, ALL, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO, THE PROBLEM THAT I, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I KNOW, YOU, YOU DO A DEAL WITH THIS, UH, WITH, WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE AGING.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS, OR IF THEY ARE A QUOTE REALLY ALONE, THAT, THAT JUST AS AN AWFUL SITUATION.
UH, I THINK ABOUT PEOPLE, I'VE DONE STORIES ON MEALS, ON WHEELS, UH, UH, WITH BILL COOK SHANK, AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE ON MEALS ON WHEELS, THEY'RE ALL LIVING ALONE.
UH, PHYSICALLY THEY CAN DO THAT.
BUT MEALS ON WHEELS IS, YOU KNOW, THEY COME, UH, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND THEY BRING THE FOOD ONE, ONE MEAL A DAY, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND WITHOUT MEALS ON WHEELS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT WOULD THOSE PEOPLE DO? WHAT WOULD YOU, AS A COMMISSION DO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF IDEAS.
I KNOW YOU, UM, BUT I JUST WANT TO, UH, BE PERSONAL FOR A WHILE.
UH, BECAUSE I AM DISCOVERING THAT, THAT AS I GET OLDER, I HAVE SO MUCH MORE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT'S RESPECT.
I'VE ALWAYS RESPECTED, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OLDER THAN ME, BUT I AM SEEING HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO SURVIVE AS YOU GET INTO YOUR, YOU KNOW, SIXTIES ANYMORE.
I KNOW PEOPLE IN THEIR SIXTIES NOW TO MEET THEIR KIDS.
I MEAN, THAT'S LIKE, THAT'S NOT ANYTHING.
UH, BUT, AND I KNOW PEOPLE IN THEIR NINETIES, AND I'M GONNA DO A COLUMN ON WHAT I'M GONNA CALL THE NINETIES CLUB.
AND THE NINETIES CLUB NOW INCLUDES PHYLLIS.
IT INCLUDES PEOPLE LIKE, UH, RENEE SIMON, UH, GLORIA DUKE, MAGEN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WIFE OF GEORGE DUKE MAGEN, UH, SHE'S 93 NOW.
UH, BEVERLY O'NEILL, WHO I WILL UNFORTUNATELY NEVER BE ABLE TO SEE AGAIN.
OR MOST PEOPLE WILL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN.
SHE'S CONFINED TO HER PLACE AND
[00:30:01]
ON THE PENINSULA.AND, AND THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I, UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO WRITE ABOUT BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS AN ISSUE MOST PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RUN INTO THIS TOO, BUT I WOULD THINK YOU PROBABLY DO.
AND IF PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT DEMENTIA OR ALZHEIMER'S, GENERALLY SPEAKING WITH THEIR SPOUSES, WHEN I, I DO ALL THE OBITUARIES IN THE PRE TELEGRAM NOW, BECAUSE OUR STAFF ARE SO YOUNG, THEY DON'T KNOW ANYBODY WHO PASSES AWAY ANYMORE.
WHEN JERRY MILLER DIED, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHO JERRY MILLER WAS.
YOU KNOW? UM, SO I, I DON'T DO EVERY OBITUARY, BUT I TEND TO DO MOST OF THEM.
AND IT'S, UH, IT'S JUST INTERESTING THAT WHENEVER I ASK, I ALWAYS WANT TO GET INTO THE CAUSE OF DEATH.
VERY FEW WANT TO USE THAT WORD, DEMENTIA.
THEY'LL SAY THINGS LIKE, WELL, SHE, UH, SHE WAS FORGETFUL, OR SHE HAD A MEMORY ISSUE.
I SAID, DO YOU MEAN DEMENTIA? DO YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT? THEY'LL SAY IT'S, AGAIN, IT IS ONE OF THOSE WORDS.
CANCER USED TO BE A WORD BACK IN THE, UH, SIXTIES, SEVENTIES, EIGHTIES, UH, AT NEWSPAPERS.
WE ARE, WE DIDN'T USE THE WORD CANCER VERY OFTEN 'CAUSE IT WAS CONSIDERED SOME KIND OF A AWFUL DISEASE, YOU KNOW? AND IT WAS CONTAGIOUS, OR I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY, WE THOUGHT ALL, ALL I KNEW IS IF I WAS WRITING A STORY WITH CANCER, PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
IN FACT, DEMENTIA SEEMS TO BE A WORSE WORD THAN ALZHEIMER'S.
I, I DON'T QUITE KNOW WHY THAT IS.
UH, LEMME JUST ASK A QUESTION.
IS THAT AN ISSUE TOO WITH YOU AS A COMMISSION DEALING WITH PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA? IS THAT PART OF THE HEALTH? I I DON'T, I HAVE A DIFFERENT TAKE ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, I WAS FORTUNATELY WAS RAISED BY A, UH, GREAT-GRANDMOTHER WHO LIVED WAY INTO HER NINETIES.
AND AT HER BIRTHDAY EVERY YEAR SHE WOULD, WE'D SAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRAMMY.
AND SHE'D SAY, IT SURE BEATS THE ALTERNATIVE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I DON'T EVER NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION, HOW OLD YOU ARE.
I AM HAPPY WITH BEING 73 YEARS OLD, BECAUSE THAT MEANS I'VE MADE IT THIS FAR.
I'M HAPPY WITH THE CHANGES THAT GO ON IN YOUR LIFE AGAIN, BECAUSE JUST MEANS YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE LIFE.
AND I FEEL LIKE, UH, WE NEED TO TAKE THOSE WORDS BACK AND MAKE THEM NOT THE BAD WORDS.
UM, I JUST HAD A GIRLFRIEND PASS AWAY FROM DEMENTIA.
AND, AND IT'S LIKE, IT, THAT'S LIFE.
AND, UM, I DON'T, I FEEL SORRY.
AND FOR PEOPLE WHO WON'T TELL THEIR AGE OR FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING SHAMEFUL ABOUT TURNING 85
RENEE, SIMON IS PROUD OF THE FACT THAT SHE'S 96.
IT'S A PRIVILEGE DENIED TO MANY TO BE 96 YEARS OLD.
AND, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION NEEDS TO GET OUT THERE MORE.
WELL, UH, I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT HOW KIND OF THIS, UH, THE AGE IS, IS AFFECTING ME.
UH, BUT MY MAIN POINT WITH THAT WAS THAT I HAVE A GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM.
AND I GET, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ACCURATE, BUT IF I THINK IF EVERYBODY HAD A WIFE LIKE I HAD OR HUSBAND, AND THEN I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS WHO ALSO LIVE NEARBY, AND THEY'RE HELPING, I THINK IF EVERYBODY HAD HAD THEM, I DON'T THINK WE'D NEED A COMMISSION ON EACH OF, WOULD WE
I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY THING IS A BIG THING.
WE DO DEAL WITH, IN FACT, OUR VERY OWN, UM, UH, COMMISSION HAS TO PASS EVERY YEAR OR EVERY TWO YEARS.
CERTAIN ETHICS COURSES THAT ARE ONLY ONLINE.
AND, AND THEY'RE NOT THE MOST SOPHISTICATED WEBSITE, LET ME TELL YOU,
UM, THEY DO NOT HAVE ALL THOSE INTUITIVE OR FAIL SAFE THINGS, UH, THAT, THAT SOME DO.
AND SOME OF US HAVE NOT PASSED OUR ETHICS COURSE ONLINE BECAUSE WE COULDN'T, WE GOT STUCK IN THE MIDDLE AND WE COULDN'T GET OUT OF IT, AND NOBODY COULD HELP US.
AND SO IT'S IRONIC THAT ABSOLUTELY
[00:35:01]
EVERYTHING GOES TO ONLINE WITHOUT THE CONSIDERATION THAT, WELL, WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO DON'T SEE, WELL, FRIENDS OF MINE HAVE EARLY MACULAR DEGENERATION MM-HMMUH, WHO'S GONNA HELP THEM, UH, PASS THAT, YOU KNOW? BUT I, I CAN IMAGINE A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
I CAN IMAGINE A CROSS-GENERATIONAL, UH, PROGRAM WHERE YOUNG KIDS GET PAID TO, TO EVEN VISIT PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES AND HELP THEM THROUGH CERTAIN THINGS.
OR PEOPLE ALL COME TOGETHER FOR A BIG PARTY, AND THEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE THERE HELPING THEM DO THE TECHNOLOGY.
I WAS GONNA SAY, AND I WAS GONNA GET TO THAT WHEN I SORT OF GOT THROUGH TALKING, HOW, HOW, HOW DID YOU, AS A COMMISSION, THAT'S ONLY ONE ISSUE.
I'M GONNA BRING UP OTHER THINGS LIKE HOUSING ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, THE LIST IS ENDLESS.
AND HOW DO YOU, HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THAT? UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU, YOU DO IT.
UH, UM, BUT I, I, I THINK I AM ALMOST THROUGH, UH, YOU, YOU KNOW, ALL THE STATISTICS ABOUT, UH, HOW THE PERCENTAGE OF, OF, OF SENIORS IN LONG BEACH IS NOW OVER 30%, BUT I THINK OVER 65, IT'S VARIES FROM 30 TO 35%.
THAT NUMBER IS GETTING LARGER AS, AS THE POPULATION, THE BABY BOOMERS, AS THEY ALL GET OLDER.
AND WE'RE HAVING, THE BIRTH RATE IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE.
SO WE'RE JUST, WE'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE LIKE US, YOU KNOW? UH, UH, AND THIS MEANS MORE AND MORE PROBLEMS, UH, UNLESS SOMEBODY'S SMART ENOUGH TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT, ABOUT ALL THAT.
AND, AND I'VE HEARD FROM SOME PEOPLE, UH, SORT OF COMPLAINING THAT, UH, REX RICHARDSON, WHO I LIKE AND EVERYTHING, AND HIS, UH, UH, HE, YOU KNOW, HE IS GIVING OUT THESE THINGS STATE OF THE CITY AND A HUNDRED FIFTH.
AND THAT I DON'T THINK HE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT SENIORS.
THIS ONE THING HE DID, I'M GONNA CALL REX AND SAY, WHAT ABOUT THAT? I'M SURE HE'LL SAY, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, HE'S NOT GONNA DISMISS.
TELL HIM HIS MOTHER SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HIM.
SO I THINK THE OTHER THING, UH, WELL, I DID MENTION I DO WANT TO WRITE A COLUMN FOR THIS SUNDAY.
I'D BE INTERESTED IN, IN COMMENTS YOU ALL MAKE THAT I CAN TAKE DOWN, NOW, I MAY CALL YOU ON THE PHONE LATER, IF I COULD GET NUMBERS FROM IRENE, UH, UM, ON THIS, THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF ASIAN, IT'S A HUGE ISSUE.
AND I SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE IT ALMOST A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE HOMELESS ISSUE.
WE'VE BEEN WRITING ABOUT THE HOMELESS ISSUE FOR 50 YEARS, AND NOW SOME REPORT COMES OUT THAT SOME AUDIT SAYS, OH, THE $800 MILLION THAT THE STATE OR WHOEVER'S BEEN SPENDING, NOBODY KNOWS HOW IT WAS SPENT OR WHETHER IT WAS USED.
AND I'M THINKING, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? AND THEN EACH MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, AND I KNOW LONG BEACH TOO, THEY ALL SAY, OH, WE'RE DOING THIS WITH A HOMELESS AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
KAREN BASS, WHEN SHE TOOK OVER, UH, SHE SAID THE THE HOMELESS ISSUE WAS, WAS TRAGIC OR SOMETHING.
AND I'M THINKING, WHAT ABOUT THE MAYOR WHO WAS BEFORE HER? WHAT WAS HIS NAME? UM, ANTHONY.
I MEAN, WHAT WAS HE DOING? AND NOW NOBODY KNOWS HOW THAT MONEY WAS BEING SPENT, BUT EVERYBODY WANTS ANOTHER COUPLE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR, FOR THE HOMELESS.
AND WE IN THE PRESS, WE HAVE TO, WE REPORT ON ALL THAT.
AND NOW, AND I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO TRUMP AT ALL, BUT IF YOU NOW ASK THAT, PRESS THAT NEW PRESS SECRETARY FOR TRUMP, ASK HER ANY KIND OF QUESTION THAT SEEMS TO BE LIKE, WELL, THE PRESIDENT SAID THIS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THAT? SHE SAYS, GET OUT OF THE ROOM.
OR I'M SORRY, I TALKED, I'M SO SORRY.
SHE SAID THE OTHER DAY, AND I'M THINKING, WHAT ARE WE GOING THROUGH THE MEDIA NOW? WE'VE BECOME, WE'RE THE FAKE NEWS PEOPLE.
UH, NOT TO EVERYBODY, OF COURSE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S BECOME AN ISSUE TOO.
SO I FEEL LIKE I'VE TALKED TOO MUCH.
I COULD GO ON, BUT THE, THE MAIN THING I, I KIND OF WANT TO DO IS CONGRATULATE YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, AND WHAT DOES IT RESULT IN, AND ARE YOU MAKING, ARE YOU MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN HELPING PEOPLE WHO ARE GROWING OLDER OR, I KNOW THERE GOTTA BE HOLES HERE AND THERE, AND THE CONNECTIONS I KNOW AREN'T WHAT THEY OUGHT
[00:40:01]
TO BE.UH, AND LIFE JUST ISN'T, ISN'T PERFECT.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
AND THEN I, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, WHO DO I HAVE TO START WITH? MICHELLE, WITH YOU? UH, HOW DO YOU SEE ALL THIS? AND ESPECIALLY THE ROLE OF THE COMMISSION.
AND I READ SOMEWHERE IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY, I READ SOMEWHERE SOMEBODY SAID, OH, WE SHOULD HAVE AN, UH, AN OVERALL AGING COLLECTIVE OR COMMISSION.
AND I'M THINKING, WELL, WHAT DOES THIS COMMISSION DO? I MEAN, WHAT DO WE NEED ANOTHER ONE FOR? IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE ALL THESE COMMITTEES AND PEOPLE DOING KIND OF STUFF.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOES STUFF AND THEY'RE ALL OVER, UH, CITY GOVERNMENT.
YOU, I, YOU MUST KNOW, RIGHT? ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU DO FOR WELL, I MEAN, WE DO LIKE A NEW PROGRAM FOR THE PARK AND REC FOR LIKE OUR CENTERS.
I MEAN, SO, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING.
ALL OF THESE EFFORTS ARE AIMED AT HELPING AGING.
AND I, I HAD A LIST OF THINGS, THE ISSUES, TECHNOLOGY, LONELINESS, DEPRESSION, HEALTH, PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, TRANSPORTATION, ELDER ABUSE, SCAMS, UH, HOMELESSNESS, FINANCIAL, UH, ISSUES, ALL OF THOSE.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THAT? ARE YOU FIXING ALL THAT STUFF? WE ARE, I BELIEVE OUR ROLE IS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE SENIORS, UM, AND TO MAKE OTHER PEOPLE AWARE OF THE DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT THE SENIORS ARE HAVING.
UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO TAKE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND SPEAKING TO US.
UM, AND I WANT TO KNOW IF ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR RICH.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED WAS ELDER ABUSE.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING, THE HOUSING COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING TO GET A FACILITY OF SOME KIND THAT WOULD SPECIALIZE IN TAKE CARE OF ELDER ABUSE.
RIGHT NOW, IF AN ELDER, IF IT'S REPORTED AND IT'S CERTIFIED THAT THEY ARE UNDER ABUSE, THEY'RE GIVEN THE OPTION OF GOING TO A SHELTER, WHICH DOESN'T WORK FOR A LOT OF REASONS, AND NONE OF THEM TAPED THEM UP ON IT.
MANY OF THEM HAVE A PET, A CAT, A DOG, A BIRD, AND THEY WON'T LEAVE IT.
AND THE SHELTERS WON'T TAKE THEM, BUT WHATEVER.
THERE SHOULD BE A FACILITY OF SOME KIND THE WAY WE HAVE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND THE REASON, UH, INTERVAL HOUSE WILL TAKE, BUT WASN'T THERE, I READ SOMEWHERE, PHYLLIS, WASN'T THERE SOME SAFE HOUSES? THERE ARE SAFE HOUSES.
IS THERE A SAFE, BUT THEY'RE NOT FOR SENIORS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE CALLING THE SHELTER? YES.
UM, HOW MANY, LIKE RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE NONE FOR SENIORS IN WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
BUT NOT SPECIALIZED, BUT INTERVAL HOUSE WILL TAKE SENIORS SUFFERING ABUSE, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE WIDER BATHROOMS FOR THE WHEELCHAIR.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE TOILET SEATS.
I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT SPECIFICALLY GEARED FOR SENIORS.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE DOOR HANDLES.
WE NEED TO HAVE A FACILITY THAT'S GEARED FOR SENIORS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW.
WE'RE RIGHT NOW WITH THE COUNTY OF LA JANICE HONG'S OFFICE.
AND I'M WORKING WITH NICK HOLDEN ON THAT.
AND THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN BACK TO US.
BUT I MEAN, EVERYONE REALIZES IT'S A PROBLEM AND THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY CAN.
BUT UNDER WHAT IF THERE WAS THIS QUOTE, SAFE HOUSE, WHO COULD GO TO IT? ABS NOT THIS ELDERLY OR ELDER ABUSE.
EDDIE SENIOR, WHO IS WITH THE, UH, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES GO OUT ON CALLS, DOCTOR'S REPORT.
AMANDA MAN MANDATED TO REPORT ABUSE.
ANY KIND OF, UH, PHYSICAL ABUSE THAT THEY SEE NOW, THESE PEOPLE GENERALLY ARE LIVING WITH, THEY'RE BEING ABUSED BY WHAT, WHAT FAMILY MEMBER? FAMILY MEMBER GENERALLY, OR COULD BE CARETAKER.
IT COULD BE ANYONE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S GENERALLY A FAMILY MEMBER AT THIS POINT.
BUT IF YOU HAD TO LIST MAYBE THE TOP, THERE ARE LIST AVAILABLE.
THERE ARE ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND THERE ARE A LOT OF STATISTICS
[00:45:01]
OUT THERE.BUT THE REALITY IS WE DON'T HAVE A HOUSE.
AND THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
THE HOUSING COMMITTEE FROM THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN WORKING ON.
AND WE DO YOU FEEL YOU'RE MAKING PROGRESS THAT ARE PEOPLE LISTENING TO YOU? WE'RE MAKING SOME PROGRESS.
OUR BIG OF THE CITY COUNCIL MAYOR JUST PASSED AWAY.
WHAT OUR BIGGEST ADVOCATE ON THIS COMMISSION JUST DIED RECENTLY.
AND I THINK PROBABLY IF WE EVER GET IT GOING IN HONOR OF HIM, WE SHOULD CALL IT ALAN'S HOUSE.
IS IT, DOES THAT MEAN, IS THERE A VACANCY NOW? YES.
IS THERE A VACANCY? THERE'S NINE.
COMMISSIONERS TYPICALLY HAVE A FULL COMMISSION.
SO HOW MANY VACANCIES? WE WE'RE TOO SHORT.
'CAUSE ALMOST ALL THE VA ALL THE COMMISSIONS HAVE HAD VACANCIES.
AND THE, UH, RICH ONLY NINE IN FULL.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR RICH? DID YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION OR, WELL, WE LOVE TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION,
WELL, CERTAINLY WHEN I, YOU REMEMBER I WORKED AT THE, UM, TRANSIT COMPANY AND WE HAD SOME SENIOR INITIATIVES AND, AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE GEARED AT HELPING SENIORS ACCESS THE BUS AND, YOU KNOW, BE IT, UM, SERVICES LIKE ACCESS OR, OR DIAL A RIDE OR THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, UM, BUT SPEAKING AS A COMMISSIONER, I DON'T SEE THAT A LOT HAS BEEN DONE, UM, REALLY SINCE THEN FOR SENIORS.
I DON'T SEE ANY SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS OR PRICING.
OR LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, LONG BEACH UNIFIED OR LONG BEACH CITY OR LONG BEACH STATE HAS DISCOUNTED, UM, YOU KNOW, RIDES AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, BUT THERE'S REALLY NO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OR SERVICES THAT ARE BEING, UM, THAT ARE REALLY TARGETED AT HELPING THE SENIOR OTHER THAN THEIR EXISTING SYSTEM.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S SO MANY OF THE SYSTEMS IS BUSINESSES HAVE A BUSINESS MODEL, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT PRONE TO CHANGING THAT BUSINESS MODEL.
SO OUR TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE IS, HAS RECOMMENDED FREE FARES FOR SENIORS AND A, A ROUTE OR TWO THAT SPECIFICALLY SERVES SENIORS IN THE GREATER DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH AREA.
SO THE PASSPORT IS WHAT THEY USED TO CALL IT.
I DON'T WANNA BURDEN THE, THE, UM, CONVERSATION HERE WITH TECHNICAL TERMS, BUT NOW THE PASSPORT USED TO RUN FREE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
IT RUNS FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY THESE DAYS.
AND IT DOESN'T REALLY INCLUDE, SAY IF YOU HAVE TO GO TO BOND'S MARKET AT, YOU KNOW, 10TH AND ATLANTIC, WELL, IT DOESN'T REALLY GO OVER THERE.
I MEAN, UM, SENIOR, UM, CENTER OR, YOU KNOW, RESIDENCES SAY WHERE, WHERE KAREN LIVES OVER THERE AT PACIFIC AND, AND THIRD AND, AND SEVENTH AND THAT SORT OF THING.
IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T GO OVER TO PACIFIC ANYMORE.
SO THERE'S THINGS THAT COULD EXTEND THE REACH OF TRANSPORTATION FOR SENIORS.
AND, AND PHYLLIS PHYLLIS'S LOVE IS, WE SHOULD HAVE SMALLER BUSES.
I MEAN, THEY'RE THOSE ARCTICS.
I MEAN, THOSE THINGS ARE HUGE.
WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR LITTLE PASSPORTS, I THINK WOULD SOLVE THE HOUSING PROBLEM.
THOSE LARGE BUSES COULD BE CONVERTED INTO HOUSING.
BUT NOT TO BURDEN THE PROCESS, BUT THAT'S, WE HAVE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WORK ON DIFFERENT THINGS, AND WE ARE ON THE, WELL, LET ME ADD, LET ME BILL ASK A QUESTION BASED ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
BUT THEN, UH, FOR THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE COMMISSION, AND THAT IS WHAT, AND THIS IS WHY THIS MEETING I'M HAVING WITH THESE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION PEOPLE, GUESS WHAT? THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAND US MONEY TO BUY REPORTERS.
BUT THAT THE, UH, KNIGHT FOUNDATION, WHAT THEY DO IN HELPING COMMUNITIES AROUND THE THE COUNTRY IS THEY WANT TO SOMEHOW HELP, ESPECIALLY DIVERSIFIED AREAS.
I, AND THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY GIVE LIKE, UH, MAYBE 2000 GRANTS AND THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN OUT.
AND IT'LL BE LIKE, USUALLY IT'S THE SMALLER PUBLICATIONS, LIKE IN, IN, IN THE CAMBODIA TOWN, OR NOT HERE, BUT IT WOULD BE, IT'S LIKE THAT.
[00:50:01]
A BLACK COMMUNITY.THEY, THEY WANT TO HELP PRIMARILY LOW INCOME AREAS.
UH, AND USUALLY WITH MINORITIES, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN HELPING PEOPLE IN BEVERLY HILLS.
UM, SO, UH, UH, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE INTERESTED IN TALKING WITH 'EM, BECAUSE MAYBE THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA ASK ME AND OUR, OUR EDITORS THAT THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T USE THE WORD PROBLEMS. YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT USING WORDS, NEVER SAY PROBLEMS. MARCEL TOLD ME YESTERDAY, SHE SAID, DON'T SAY PROBLEMS YOU DON'T HAVE.
I SAID, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK THEY ARE, MARCEL? THEY'RE PROBLEMS. WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF.
WE'VE LOST 85% OF OUR REPORTERS OVER BECAUSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH DIGITAL AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SHE SAYS, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, I KNOW THAT.
AND THEY'RE TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT IT.
SO I SAID, SO WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ASK 'EM FOR MONEY? SHE SAYS, YOU USE THE WORD OPPORTUNITY.
SO NOW THE WORD IS OPPORTUNITY.
YOU DON'T SAY, UH, TO THESE PEOPLE, I'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM IN LONG BEACH.
YOU SAY, WE'VE GOT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THEN, THEN THE OBVIOUS PROBLEM IS, WHAT, WHAT ARE THESE OPPORTUNITIES? AND HOW COULD, IF IF THEY GAVE US, UH, $500,000, LET'S SAY 200,000, UH, FOR A YEAR OR TWO YEARS, HOW WOULD WE USE THAT? AND I'M GONNA ASK YOU THIS TOO, BECAUSE, BECAUSE THE ELDERLY AND THE, UH, THAT'S AN ISSUE FOR US AT THE PRESS TELEGRAM, BECAUSE WE LIKE TO DO STORIES.
WE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THESE SEGMENTS OF OUR POPULATION FOR A HUNDRED YEARS, UH, UH, ESPECIALLY SINCE 1980.
UH, WE KNOW THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR READERS WHO ARE LATINOS, HOW MANY ARE BLACKS, HOW MANY WHITES THEY'RE AGES, ET CETERA.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALL THESE STATISTICS COMING OUT.
AND SO, UH, WE, WE TRY, AND I TRIED WHEN I WAS EDITOR TO, TO DO STORIES ON THESE AREAS THAT WE HAD NOT DONE STORIES ON BEFORE.
AND ELDERLY, THAT'S ONE AREA WE DIDN'T PAY A WHOLE LOT OF ATTENTION TO.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, CHICANOS THAT LED TO THAT CHICANO MOVEMENT BACK IN THE SEVENTIES TO SIXTIES, SEVENTIES.
BUT I WHAT I, WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW FROM SOME OF YOU, UH, WHAT, WHAT CAN THE PRESS TELL HER? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU? LIKE BILL, I'M THINKING AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUS THING, I'M IMMEDIATELY THINKING THERE WAS A GOOD STORY THERE WHERE WE GO TO, WHO'S THE GUY? KEN MCDONALD? MARCEL, UH, KEN, KEN MCDONALD, THE CEO AND THE, AND THE TRANSIT COMPANY BOARD AND LAYOUT, EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID, UH, AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THAT? AND THEN I'LL WRITE A COLUMN NOW, WHY DON'T YOU WRITE A COLUMN ABOUT THAT 200 AND TO $500,000 YOU JUST MENTIONED AND FUND THE SAFE HOUSE THAT PHYLLIS IS TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S WHAT WOULD BE GOOD TO, WELL, IF POSSIBLE.
BUT PHYLLIS GET SOME ABOUT THAT THAT WE'RE TALKING TO.
I'VE NEVER, I HAVEN'T MET HIM.
UH, THE, THE WOMAN WHO IS THE CEO NOW OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, SHE WAS THE PRESIDENT, CEO OF THE GT COMPANY, YOU KNOW, THE GTT NEWSPAPERS ON THE LARGEST USA TODAY FOR ONE.
I MEAN, SHE IS, SHE'S TERRIFIC FROM HER CREDENTIALS, BUT I'M GONNA BRING UP, BUT, BUT, UH, DO YOU HAVE OTHER IDEAS LIKE THAT? BECAUSE, UH, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES OF, UM, IF IF THEY WERE TO GIVE US MONEY, HOW WOULD WE USE IT? AND THE ANSWER ISN'T.
THE ANSWER ISN'T, WELL, I'M GONNA BUY TWO REPORTERS THEN, YOU KNOW, I'LL GET, UH, I'LL GET TWO REPORTERS, ONE TO COVER THE LONG BEACH SCHOOL BOARD AND ONE TO COVER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER SENIOR ISSUES.
WE USED TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE 30 TO 40, UH, REPORTERS COVERING LONG BEACH.
WE NOW ARE DOWN TO THREE OR FOUR.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S RIDICULOUS.
BUT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH SO LITTLE.
AND, UH, BUT THAT'S, AGAIN, I DON'T, I DIDN'T COME HERE TO, UH, TO, TO TALK ABOUT STUFF LIKE THAT.
UH, IT'S MORE THE OPPORTUNITIES.
DO YOU ALL SEE, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU GET THIS MESSAGE OUT? I KNOW THERE ARE SO MANY OF THESE GROUPS THAT WERE TALKING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY MINORITY GROUPS, LOW INCOME GROUPS.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T READ NEWSPAPERS
[00:55:01]
OR MOST, MOST HAVE CELL PHONES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE THE CELL PHONE IS, IS, IS BETTER IN SO MANY WAYS.
BUT A DAILY NEWSPAPER, WHICH COSTS MONEY, UH, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER? AM I REACHING PEOPLE LIKE THAT? I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION.
WELL, TO SOME DEGREE, THE PARKS AND REC DOES, UM, REACH SOME OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS IN THE SENIOR CENTERS IN THE PARKS, YOU KNOW, UHHUH.
AND SO MAYBE COVERING THE, SOME OF THOSE GROUPS.
'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN TO VISIT AND WE'VE HAD LUNCH THERE, AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S THE, THERE'S A CAMBODIAN GROUP AT ONE PARK AND THERE'S OTHER GROUPS.
AND SO, UM, SENIORS DO GATHER IN SOME OF THOSE, THOSE PROGRAMS. AND, UM, AND THEN THEY TRANSMIT THE I AND THEN THAT'S MY QUESTION, KIND OF HOW DO THEY HEAR ABOUT THESE THINGS? AND I MEAN, THAT'S, I'M IN THE BUSINESS OF RIGHT, YOU KNOW, REACHING PEOPLE.
WELL, THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS DO A PRETTY GOOD, I USED TO, UH, WORK WITH THE LONG BEACH IMMIGRANT RIGHTS COLLEGE AND, AND WE HAD EXTENSIVE NETWORKS WITH UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS THAT OTHER PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE.
AND SO AS SOON AS A NEW PROGRAM OR A NEW ISSUE THAT THEY WANTED, OR GOING TO CITY COUNCIL AROUND SOMETHING, THERE ARE WAYS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, WHAT STORIES IN, ARE THERE STORIES IN THE PRESS TELEGRAM THAT SPECIFICALLY WOULD HELP THINGS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? IS IT JUST THE FACT THAT IT'S IN THE PAPER AND OTHER, DOES THAT HELP POLITICALLY OH, YEAH.
YOU KNOW, INFLUENCE MAYBE CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR, YOU KNOW, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
YEAH, I MEAN, BECAUSE YOU CAN COMBINE THE POSITIVE WITH THE, WITH THE CHALLENGES OR THE OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE YOU SAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET NETWORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS OR I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT, HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, CLINICALS, THE GREAT HUNTERS ABOUT TO THOSE COMMUNITIES.
BUT THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS DO MOBILIZE PEOPLE AND DO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT, YOU KNOW, OTHERWISE HEAR ABOUT THINGS.
THEY HELP PROGRAMS. I, I HELP WITH THE, WITH THE COVID VACCINATION OUTREACH.
UH, WE WENT DOOR TO DOOR IN IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND EDUCATED PEOPLE AND THEY CAME OUT.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE DOING AS GOOD A JOB AS YOU CAN ON THIS COMMISSION? NO, I, I FEEL LIKE I'M STILL GETTING MY SEA LEGS TO TRY, BECAUSE BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY IS, YOU KNOW, CITY POLICIES THAT COULD CHANGE.
AND IT'S
BUT ONE THING THAT, WE HAD A SPEAKER RECENTLY ABOUT GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAMS, AND THEY MENTIONED, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, IN MANY CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THEY'VE HAD THESE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS. AND WITH $500 A MONTH EXTRA, THEY'VE SHOWN THAT PEOPLE HAVE, LIVES HAVE BEEN IMPROVED.
YOU KNOW, QUALITATIVE LEAKS, LOW INCOME PEOPLE.
SO WE HEARD ABOUT ONE FOR SENIORS THAT HAD BEEN DONE, AND I JUST HEARD ABOUT ONE THAT HAD BEEN TRIED IN SAN DIEGO THAT HAD KEPT SENIORS FROM BECOMING HOMELESS, BUT IT WAS ONLY AN 18 MONTH PROGRAM.
SO I, I'M KIND OF LIKE FINDING MY WAY ON THIS COMMISSION.
I, UH, TRYING TO FIND WHERE I COULD MAKE AN IMPACT.
AND MY IDEA AT THE MOMENT IS TO INVESTIGATE THIS IDEA OF PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS AMONG SENIORS.
WELL, LET ME THROW THIS OUT TO EVERYBODY AND, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THIS MEETING.
I, HOW, HOW MANY YEARS HAVE WE HAD THE COMMISSION? LONG TIME.
WELL, I MEAN, SO PERSONALLY I'VE NEVER, BUT THEN I WASN'T A REPORTER, I WAS AN EDITOR.
I'M SURE WE COVERED THIS COMMISSION MAYBE 20 YEARS AGO.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE, HAS THERE BEEN A REPORTER FROM THE PRESS TELEGRAM HERE FOR ME IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS? NONE.
I JUST WANT TO HANG MY HAT ON THE, THE INVISIBLE OR THE SILENT SENIOR.
PERHAPS AS A COMMISSION OR EVEN AS A, A SOCIETY OF PEOPLE, OLDER PEOPLE OR SENIORS OR OLDER ADULTS, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT TYPICALLY HEARD AND, AND A PART OF THE, THE, UM, THE GOVERNMENT OR THE, THE, THE MAIN STREET.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT GETS ME ABOUT THAT SOCIETY? I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT YOU KNOW, SENIORS ARE, ARE AMONG THE BEST VOTERS AND THE WORLD, RIGHT? I MEAN, MOST OF US, WE ALL VOTE.
[01:00:01]
KNOW, WE KIND OF EDUCATED AND ALL OF THAT.AND YOU WOULD THINK POLITICIANS WOULD WANT TO SUPPORT US OR, YOU KNOW, THE AGING, WHY ISN'T THAT, KAREN? DO YOU KNOW WHY IS THAT? ISN'T THAT TRUE THOUGH? WE WE'RE THE BEST VOTERS? WELL, ELDERLY VOTE BETTER THAN THESE KIDS AREN'T VOTING ANYMORE.
UM, IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S, UM, LOW INCOME PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT DEPEND ON THE SERVICES.
THEY'RE, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY VOTE LIKE THOSE THAT ARE UNDOCUMENTED.
THEY'RE THE ONES, THEY'RE NOT RECEIVING SERVICES.
SO IF YOU'RE A POLITICIAN, WHY BOTHER WITH THAT? UNLESS, WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING THEM ORGANIZED.
THEY, THE POLITICIANS ARE STARTING TO PAY ATTENTION.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I DO ON THAT LA COUNTY COMMISSION.
WELL, THANK YOU, UH, FOR BEING HERE, RICH.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND KNOW YOU GOTTA GET TO YOUR NEXT MEETING.
WHAT, SAY THAT AGAIN? YOU HAVE TO GET TO YOUR NEXT MEETING, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME HERE.
I'M, I COULD GO HERE ALL DAY, SO I'M SURE YOU CAN.
BUT IF I, IF I MAY, RICH, SO YOU JUST REACH OUT TO IRENE.
YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING, RIGHT? IF YOU WANT ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR INPUT OR I WILL.
OR CONTACT WITH MR. WELL, WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO, UM, SEND EVERYBODY, IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, YOUR INFORMATION, YOUR PHONE NUMBER, AND THEN THEY CAN REACH OUT TO YOU IN CASE YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS.
YES, I AM GONNA WRITE FOR THIS SUNDAY.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA WRITE SOME PERSONAL STUFF ABOUT MYSELF, BUT MY KEY POINT IS WHAT IS THE CITY DOING TO, TO HELP SENIORS AND MORE PARTICULARLY THE COMMISSION AND WHAT KIND OF HELP IS NEEDED? THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO KIND OF HEAR FROM YOU.
I WON'T QUOTE YOU, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING OF COURSE.
BUT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO THINGS LIKE THERE'S A SENIOR CARE DIRECTORY, BUT I, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW, WE DIDN'T PUT THIS TOGETHER OUT OF THE NEWSROOM.
IT'S AN ADVERTISING VEHICLE, BUT THERE'S HARDLY NO, THERE'S NEWS CONTENT IN THIS IS FROM ALL OVER.
I USED TO DO THOSE SPECIAL SEX ITEMS. HERE'S THE THING.
THIS COMES OUT QUARTERLY IS SORT OF A, AND THAT'S ALL HELPFUL TO ME AS I'M GETTING INTO THIS.
NOW, PERSONALLY, TO ME, THE ANSWER ALWAYS IS TO WRITE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THIS.
THE PEOPLE IN THE NONPROFITS, THE PEOPLE IN CITY GOVERNMENT, BUT REAL PEOPLE, NOT JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, STRATEGIC PLANS.
THOSE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN READS BEAUTIFULLY.
BUT AS YOU READ IT, I KEPT SAYING, HAS THIS BEEN DONE? HAS THIS BEEN DONE? ARE THEY DOING THIS? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S LIKE YOU'RE SAYING WITH WITH HASN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE 16 OR SO, BUT ANYTHING IS THAT GOING ON? OH, LET ME ASK ONE QUICK QUESTION.
I READ ABOUT SOMETHING CALLED THE LONG BEACH VILLAGE FOR ELDERLY, OR WHAT WAS THAT? OR WHAT IS THAT? THAT'S IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
YOU CAN CALL ME, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT IT IS I WAS INVOLVED IN, BUT WE DON'T HAVE IT.
ARE WE? I MEAN, NO, WE'VE NEVER IMPLEMENTED.
NO, BUT THERE WAS A BIG LONG REPORT VALVE.
BUT I APPLAUD YOU GUYS, RIGHT? SLEEVE.
WE'LL JUST STAND ON YOUR RIGHT SLEEVE HERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A, UH, A VOTE TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE PRESENTATION FROM RICH.
UH, I'LL, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON RECEIVING AND FILING THE PRESENTATION? OKAY.
ANYONE OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? THAT MOTION CARRIES.
DO WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM? YEAH.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO CREATE THE SAFETY NET BENEFITS FOR LOW INCOME SENIORS, AD HOC COMMITTEES.
SO WHAT WE DO NOW IS WE GET A MOTION AND THEN A SECOND, AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS IT AND GO FROM THERE.
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION, MOTION, MOTION TO DISCUSS? YES.
WHO PUT THIS IN THE SAFETY NET? BENEFITS FOR LOW
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INCOME SENIORS AD HOC COMMITTEE.WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS IT FOR US PLEASE? UM, PHYLLIS AND I, UM, PUT THIS MOTION IN AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS CREATE A, A COMMITTEE THAT, UM, IT WAS, UH, THAT FINDS OUT WHAT MAKES A LIST OF WHAT EXISTS NOW AND WHAT, WHAT THE GAPS MIGHT BE, WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE FROM OTHER CITIES.
BUT ANYWAY, TOO, IT WOULD BE CREATE THE COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW.
AND I, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THERE WOULD BE ROOM FOR THREE PEOPLE YES.
SO PHYLLIS AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAD IT UP BECAUSE WE WERE, WELL, 'CAUSE THIS WAS SOMETHING WE CAME INTERESTED IN BASED ON, UH, NOT ONLY THE PRESENTATION ON THE GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM, BUT SOME OTHER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE COME RECENTLY FOR LOW INCOME SENIORS IN LONG BEACH THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW EXISTED.
SO WE THINK THAT, UM, A SERVICE THAT WE COULD PROVIDE TO THE COMMISSION AND TO OUR, OUR MISSION WOULD BE TO START, UH, KEEPING TRACK OF WHAT DOES EXIST AND THEN WHAT GAPS THERE ARE.
DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON IT? OH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
AND I THINK IF ANYONE WANTS TO WORK WITH US, IT'D BE TERRIFIC BECAUSE WE'D LIKE TO DO THAT OVERVIEW TO SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE BEFORE WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS OF ANY KIND.
AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
WE THINK WE DO, BUT WE KNOW WHAT'S NOT AVAILABLE.
WE KNOW THE SENIOR HOUSE IS NOT AVAILABLE.
FREE TRANSPORTATION IS NOT AVAILABLE.
WE KNOW ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE.
SO THAT'S WHY NOLAN AND I TALKED ABOUT DOING IT.
AND IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH US, WE'D BE DELIGHTED.
UM, SO THEN THIS IS A TEMPORARY COMMITTEE, RIGHT? UM, TEMPORARY AD HOC COMMITTEE.
AND THE PURPOSE WOULD BE JUST TO DEVELOP THIS LIST? WELL, THAT WOULD BE THE INITIAL GOAL, BUT IN, IN THE PROCESS, UM, WE WOULD BE ASKING ABOUT, WE WOULD BE OPEN TO HEARING ABOUT SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS THAT EXIST ELSEWHERE.
I'M SURE WE WILL HEAR IN THE PROCESS WHEN WE GO INTERVIEW OR ASK PEOPLE.
UM, SO THE, THE MOTION ITSELF, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO SPECIFY ALL THE STEPS WE GO THROUGH, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE BEGINNING PART.
WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT ALL THE STEPS WOULD, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO CREATE ANOTHER AD HOC COMMITTEE.
IF WE, WHEN YOU DEVELOP THIS LIST, WHERE DO YOU SEE IT GOING? IS, IS IT GONNA BE ON A, A BULLETIN BOARD OUT HERE OR, UH, IN OTHER, YOU KNOW, OVER IN EL DORADO OR SOMETHING? UM, FOR NOW I'M JUST THINKING THAT IT WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED AND THEN WE WOULD DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT SHEILA SAID.
WHERE, WHERE, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THIS LIST AFTER YOU HAVE THE LIST? WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE GET THE INFORMATION? MM-HMM
I THINK WE ARE GONNA JUST REPORT TO AND, AND HAVE A, LIKE A DIRECTORY OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
BUT IF, BUT WHERE DO YOU, IT WILL BE NICE FOR US, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU REALLY WANNA REACH? HOW DO YOU GET THAT OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW? I DON'T THINK DEVELOPING A LIST.
I THINK ONCE YOU GET THE INFORMATION, THERE'S A LOT WE CAN DISCUSS ON HOW TO DISSEMINATE NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS I HAVEN'T, UH, THE LECTURE, WE COULD HAVE A, A MEETING HERE AT THE CENTER AND GIVE A LIST.
WE COULD PRINT IT UP AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE IN THE SLOT BOXES.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS WE COULD GET THE INFORMATION OUT, BUT THE POINT IS, AT THIS POINT WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S KIND OF A STEP ONE GATHER.
AND I THINK STEP TWO WOULD BE ONCE IT'S GATHERED, GOOD POINT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION QUESTION? UH, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UH, WHEN WOULD YOU REPORT ON THESE THINGS? AND DOES IT NEED TO BE A COMMITTEE? YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO THINGS ON YOUR OWN WITHOUT BEING A COMMITTEE.
AND JUST DURING OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS, YOU COULD SORT OF REPORT YOUR, WHAT YOU'VE FOUND SO FAR AND THEN YOU CAN CONTINUALLY UPDATE US AS YOU'RE FINDING THINGS WITHOUT IT BEING A, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE A NAME,
[01:10:01]
A COMMITTEE NAME.WE, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO MEET AND, AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO THAT.
WELL, I, I WOULDN'T WANT TO DO IT ON MY OWN AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
WELL, NO, YOU, UP TO THREE PEOPLE ARE WELCOME TO MEET, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE NAME OF BEING A COMMITTEE.
WELL, I, I WOULD WANT IT ON A REGULAR BASIS TO BE ABLE TO REPORT.
I WOULD WANT YOU CAN YOU, WE HAVE EVERY MONTH YOU'RE WELCOME TO, WE HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS WHERE YOU COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS MONTH WE FOUND THIS.
AND THEN, THEN THE NEXT MONTH, YOU TELL US.
NOW WE HAVE ALSO FOUND THESE THINGS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CALLED A COMMITTEE.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO MEET AS WITH THE UP TO THREE COMMISSION MEMBERS AS OFTEN AS YOU WANT.
AND THEN YOU CAN TELL US YOUR FINDINGS EACH MONTH.
YEAH, I DON'T WANNA DO IT THAT WAY.
ALL RIGHT THEN, UH, LET'S TAKE A VOTE.
OR IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? THE VOTE IS TO CREATE A SAFETY NET BENEFITS FOR LOW INCOME SENIORS AD HOC COMMITTEE.
WELL IT DOES SOUND LIKE THE MOTION CARRIED.
SO YOU, I SAID I, SO THERE'S FOUR.
DID DID YOU SAY I OR NO, I SAID I.
SHOULD WE RE-VOTE ON IT NEXT TIME OR? YES, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT HAS TO BE LIKE FIVE AND THERE'S ONLY FOUR RIGHT NOW AND ONE IT'S GETTING.
SO THAT WAY THEY CAN, OKAY, SO IT PASSES.
OKAY, THE MOTION CARRIES THEN.
UM, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S NOW TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
EACH SPEAKER IS ALLOWED THREE MINUTES.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE ANY COMMENTS? KAREN? ME? OKAY.
WAS AN INTERESTING MATING AND RICH IS RIGHT ON THE BALL.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE TWO INTERNS TO SACRAMENTO ON THE 25TH OF MARCH 'CAUSE IT'S A BIG DAY OF PROTEST UP AT THE CAPITOL.
WE ARE WORKING WITH ONE OF THE HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS.
THEY'RE DOING BIG PROTESTS ON THE STEPS OF THE CAPITOL.
SO ON 24TH AND 25TH, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF DEMONSTRATIONS.
UM, THE UM, LAST WEEK AT CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO, UM, DEVOTE A PORTION OF THE 17 4 MILLION THAT THEY'RE GETTING IN ME MEASURE A FUNDS TO KEEPING SENIORS HOUSED.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE A PROCESS AND I THINK IT'S GONNA GO THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE CHANGING FOR THE SENIORS AND GETTING HOUSED, BE ABLE TO BUILD MORE HOUSING.
AND THEN, UH, THE CALIFORNIA MASTER PLAN ON AGING HAS COME UP WITH UP WITH THEIR 2324 REPORT.
THEY'RE SPECIALIZING IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
UH, EVERY YEAR THEY'RE DOING THE REPORT.
THE GOVERNOR HAS TILL 2030 TO IMPLEMENT PLANS FOR THE MASTER PLAN IN AGING.
IT'S A LONG READ, BUT I, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S ON THERE.
AND THEN, UM, I GOT YOU MATERIALS FROM THE ABILITY EXPO O THAT WAS HELD THIS WEEKEND AND THE COUNTY HAS THE LIST.
THEY HAVE A VARIETY OF MATERIALS.
I COULD HAVE BROUGHT A LOT MORE, BUT I COULDN'T CARRY IT.
'CAUSE MY BA BASKET, MY CAR WAS HERE.
SO I'LL BRING SOME MATERIALS FOR IRENE THAT SHE CAN SEND OUT TO EVERYBODY.
UM, THEY WERE THERE ALL WEEKEND.
I WAS AT THE TABLE ALL DAY SUNDAY AND UM, HALF A DAY FRIDAY.
AND IT'S THE MOST AMAZING THING.
AND UH, IT'S AN EVENT THAT TRAVELS AROUND THE STATE AND IT'S COMING TO LONG BEACH NEXT YEAR, UM, MARCH 27TH THROUGH THE 29TH OF THIS.
UH, WE MADE LOTS OF CONTACTS AND THEN, UH, WE ALSO ARE PLANNING FOR OLDER AMERICANS.
AND I'LL, I'LL ANNOUNCE THAT NEXT MONTH.
AND THERE IS A TECHNOLOGY PLAN WITH THE CITY AND UM, I SIGNED UP TO BE A PART OF IT.
I HAD SOME SENIORS SIGN UP FOR HERE FROM HERE AND THEY WERE OFFERING $4,000 FOR COMPLETING 24 MONTHS OF TECHNOLOGY
[01:15:02]
PROCESSES.AND WE, PART OF OUR INTERNS DO COME AND HELP ON SATURDAYS WITH OLDER ADULTS.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S AN ISSUE AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT THEM TO ALL INSTALL THE EARTHQUAKE ALERTS.
'CAUSE MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT DIED IN THE LA FIRE WERE OLDER PEOPLE.
WOULD ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY PUBLIC? PUBLIC? SHARON, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO, TO COMMENT ON THE PUBLIC AGO WE VOTED, UH, TO GET YOU TO SPEAK ON WHAT WENT ON WITH THE COUNTY.
PHYLLIS WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO COMMENT ON THE PUBLIC.
YOU'LL HAVE TO SPEAK WITH HER AFTER THE MEETING.
UM, BUT DOES ANY OTHER PUBLIC HAVE ANY COMMENT? ALL RIGHT, NOW CAN I COMMENT NOW? YEAH.
NOW WE HAVE, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS.
DOES ANY COMMISSIONER HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? I'LL JUST GO, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST GO DOWN THE LINE.
I DO WE HAVE ANY, DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? COMMENTS? I HAVE A COMMENT.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR TOLERATING THE CHANGE OF VENUE WITH OUR GUEST SPEAKER TODAY.
I KNEW WE COULDN'T REIGN HIM IN MUCH, BUT, UM, HE'S A WONDERFUL SPEAKER AND I THINK EVERYBODY WAS VERY TALK TO HIM AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I I KNOW IT'S KIND OF DIFFERENT AND I KNOW HE, HE WENT A BIT LONG SO YEAH.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, UH, IT TOOK MONTHS TO GET PERMISSION FROM THIS GROUP TO HAVE KAREN SPEAK BECAUSE SHE'S A MEMBER OF THE LA COUNTY COMMISSION ON AGING.
AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE AND I DID EVENTUALLY GET PERMISSION FOR HER TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THOSE MEETINGS TO BRING BACK THE COUNTIES OKAY.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO TELL IRENE TO PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA SO THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN.
WOULD THAT BE ALRIGHT WITH YOU KAREN AGAIN TO GET YOU BACK ON THE AGENDA.
I WILL COMPLY WITH WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? I DON'T.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW FOR OUR APRIL SPEAKER, I HAVE SOMEBODY COMING FROM THE AQUARIUM TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND THEN ALSO TODAY AT FROM THREE TO FIVE O'CLOCK HERE, THERE'S A MEETING THAT YOU'RE ALL INVITED TO THAT'S GONNA BE FOR THE LONG BEACH AGING SERVICES COLLABORATIVE.
AND THAT BRINGS A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT SENIOR GROUPS, UH, PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH SENIORS TOGETHER TO DIS TO DISCUSS THE SENIOR STUFF.
IS IT HERE IN THIS ROOM? YEAH.
AND I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE SNACKS.
UM, MICHELLE HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT? YEAH.
WEREN'T WE GOING TO RECEIVE REPORT MONTHLY ON THAT ONE AS WELL? I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT.
AGING COLLABORATION IS ACTUALLY A GROUP.
THE NON-PROFITS THAT COME TOGETHER, THEY MEET QUARTERLY.
WELL SOPHIA WASN'T, IS IT? YEAH, SHE'S WITH THE HEALTHY AGING NOW.
MAYBE IT'S THE HEALTHY AGING ONE.
BUT WEREN'T WE GOING TO GET A REGULAR REPORT ON THE HEALTHY HEALTHY, I MEAN YOU CAN ASK THEM TO COME AND BE A GUEST SPEAKER FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, ABOUT, I RECALL IT WAS LIKE WE HAD ASKED THAT THEY REPORT MONTHLY SIMILAR TO KAREN'S COMMISSION.
NO, IT MIGHT, THE ONLY ONE RECALLS THAT.
WELL THEY ONLY MEET QUARTERLY SO I DON'T THINK THEY COULD GIVE US A REPORT, BUT, BUT YOU'RE WELCOME TO GO TO THE MEETING AND THEN REPORT BACK TO US, WHICH IS WHAT I'LL DO TODAY.
I'M GOING TO THE MEETING AND NEXT MONTH I COULD IN THE, DURING THE ANNOUNCEMENT PORTIONS, YOU KNOW, SORT OF BRIEFLY GO OVER WHAT WAS DISCUSSED.
I THINK YOU'RE ADEQUATELY GOOD REPRESENT US, BUT UM, IT DOESN'T MY PER PERSONAL TAKE ON, YOU'RE ALL WELCOME TO GO TO ANY MEETINGS OR ANYTHING AND BRING ALL THIS STUFF TO THE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
DURING THIS TIME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO SPEAK ABOUT WHATEVER.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU WANT ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA FOR ALL, IT'S ALL TO DISCUSS, JUST SEND THAT TO IRENE IN ADVANCE SO SHE CAN PUT IT.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DISCUSS THINGS NOT ON HERE.
UM, WITH THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN MOTION TO ADJOURN.
DOES ANYONE SECOND THAT? SECOND.
AND SHOULD WE HAVE A VOTE OF ADJOURNING? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[01:20:01]
MARCH 12TH, WE END THIS MEETING.