Safety first?
Just how long are Long Beach residents going to put up with this corrupt city government? Murders such as those of precious Jennabel Anaya, 4, and her mom, Carina Mansera [“Police seeking info about shooting of family outside their home,” Aug. 12, 2016] have become commonplace in this town. Meanwhile, city officials provide us with 200 fewer police than we’ve had in the past. (Not to mention firehouses with no fire engine capable of putting water on a fire.)
Can’t afford enough police or firefighters, we’re told. Still, we can afford an entirely new (and unnecessary) civic center when the old one is barely 40 years old?
How about laying off some of the vastly overpaid people in city departments other than public safety? They should be the very last ones to go.
What’s happened to us that we tolerate being told, “We can’t provide you enough police, but we’re paying a base salary of $90,000 or more to over 40 percent of the city’s full-time employees?” And $100,000 or more to over 1,100 employees.
Clearly, Long Beach is being run for the benefit of city employees— not for residents.
Richard Gutmann
Long Beach
