Public Comment Correspondence – Andreana Langston
From: Adreana Langston <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2023 7:03 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Please add my public comment to the Tues 10/03/2023 agenda
-EXTERNAL-
This is public comment for a non agenda item UNLESS it ends up that Council will be discussing a potential contract with Meet Long Beach as part of the agenda, in which case the comment should be under whatever that agenda item is.
Adreana Langston
[email protected]
Dear CityCouncil Members,
Thepurposeof thiscorrespondenceistoexpresshowstronglyI thinktheCityof LongBeachshouldNOTsignacontract withSteveGoodling’snewlyformedMeet LongBeachtodothethingstheCityof LongBeachcurrentlycontractswiththecitycreatedLongBeachVisitorsAndConventionBureautodo. It wouldbeabadlook, badmanagement andabadideaall around.
AsI readintheLongBeachPost theauditorshiredbytheCityOf LongBeachfoundthat"Auditorsfor thefirm, Macias, Gini &O’Connell, further foundthat Goodling’sConventionandVisitorsBureauhadcircumventedcityrules, making“unauthorized” purchasesfor whichtherehadbeennodefinedbudget orstrategicplan.
ThefirmsaidASM’sbookkeepingonthefundfell soshort of industry-standardaccountingpracticesthat itwas“difficult toevaluate” whether moneyactuallywasbeingspent andtrackedproperly. Moredefinitiveanswers, thefirmsaid, wouldrequireamoreextensive“forensicinventory” of all purchasesandtheirwhereabouts." Andafter all that lavishspendingGoodlingdidyouguysdecidedit wouldbetooexpensivetoactuallydoaforensicinventory. Howfoolishareyougoingtolookif/whensomeoneproducesevidenceof someof thosepriceyfurnishingsbeinglocatedat apropertyownedbyGoodlinghimself, or apropertyownedbysomeonewithwhomGoodlingisromanticallyinvolved, or, andthiswouldbereallybad, inoneof your propertiesbecausehegaveit toyouasagift without tellingyouitsprovidence. I wouldn't evenbesurprisedif someofthoseexpensiveobjectsareinthepossessionof thepeopleinchargeof signingcontractswiththeLongBeachConventionCenter toholdeventsthere. It wouldn't surprisemeat all if Goodlinghadgivenpeopleexpensivegiftsintheformof kickbacksfor bringingconventionbusinesstothecity. Thisisall wildspeculationI knowbut until youknowwhereeverysingleoneof theobjectsisit isspeculationthat willcontinuetosowdistrust inthemindsof thepublicconcerningthefiduciaryoversight skillsof all youCityCouncil Members.
Right nowonNextdoor votersarechatteringthat thereasonyouguysdidnot want theforensicinventoryisthat youalreadyknowsomeof thosefancyfurnishingsaresittinginpropertiesyouown. I don't believethatyouwouldbefoolishor greedyenoughfor that tobethecasewithyour knowledge.
But if youagreetoGoodling'splantohaveanentityhecreatedseparatelyfromtheBureaubetheentitywithwhichtheCityof LongBeachcontractsgoingforward, it wouldmakeyouguyslooksoooooocorrupt I can'teventell you. Whether or not it is100%accurate, theLongBeachPost storyhasvotersthinkingthat theonlyreasonGoodlingcameupwiththisMeet LongBeachplanistoavoidpublicscrutinyof what heisdoingwithtaxpayer dollars. Nooneisbuyinghis"competitiveadvantageisthereasonfor our secrecy" schtick.
Donot sever thecontract theCityof LongBeachhaswiththeBureau. KeepGoodlingandhisdoingsunderintensescrutinyseeingashowtheauditorstheCityof LongBeachhiredalreadydeterminedhewasarulebreaker andthat ASM, theorganizationGoodling(effectively) runskeepsshoddybooks. That aloneshouldhavegeneratedactiononthepart of all CityCouncil memberstohaveGoodlingreplaced. Whogetstokeeptheir jobafter beingauditedandhavingafindingthat saysa) youbrokerulesbyspendingmoneyFIRSTthenaskingfor reimbursement later rather thanaskingfor purchaseauthorizationfirst b) Youoversawanorganizationthat kept shoddybooks?Theanswer, intheeyesof theLongBeachelectorate, isgoingtobe"PeoplewhogivelavishgiftstoCityCouncil members, that'swho." Not onlyshouldtheCityCouncil approvedoingtheforensicaudit, theCouncil shouldasktheCityManager tofindavendor that providesNFCor RFIDtaggingandtrackingplusthesoftwaretohelpinstitutionsknowexactlywhereall of their inventoryisbeit ConventionCenter chairsor ConventionCenter chandeliers. Thereshouldn't beANYpubliclyownedobject intheConventionCenter, saveconsumables, that doesn't haveanNFCor RFIDinventorycontrol tagattachedtoit. Goodlingcouldbeashonest asthedayislonginregardstowantingtobuythosefurnishingsandwhatever elsestrictlyfor thepurposesof makingtheConventionCenter moreaccommodatingtopotential clients. But he'll dragyouall into"badlook" territoryif it endsupmanyof theobjectsover theyearshave"walkedaway" fromtheConventionCenter simplybecausethepeoplewhotookthemknewinventorymanagement waslaxor nonexistent.
If yousignanewcontract withMeet LongBeachtoprovidetheservicestheBureaunowprovides, you'll bemakingahugemistakeandnot lookingout for thebest interestsof theresidentsof LongBeach.
AdreanaLangstonhttp://bit.ly/AdreanaContact