There's a lot of crazy here. I would love to have my upcoming wedding in one of our parks, but I would also like to serve alcohol to my guests. Last I checked its legal to drink responsibly. Besides, are you so naive that you think that people don't already drink regularly in our parks? At least this way the city would be able to profit from it and we woludn't have to hide alcohol in those ubiquitous red cups. Geez, people! It's entirely possible to regulate and allow this.

What you apparently fail to comprehend is the "deep pockets" liability the City will assume if they permit alcohol consumption in our parks. As long as the City declares that alcohol consumption in the parks is prohibitted/illegal, then that liability does not apply.
For the sake of discussion, assume you got your wedding wish. One of your guests get totally blasted but decides to drive home anyway. He has a huge traffic accident; he hits a mini-van with a family of five inside; mom and dad get killed and two of the kids are left parapalegics. Who is going to indemnify the "survivors? First is the insurance policy you had to pay for as part of your booze permit, but the award exceeds the coverage limits by many, many millions of dollars. Now who pays the uncovered balance of the judgement? Why, the taxpayers of Long Beach, of course! Hence the reference to "deep pockets". Only a municipal bankruptcy would get the City off the hook.
As a native of Long Beach, a homeowner, and a taxpayer, I will tell you most unabashedly that is not how I want this city to be exposed financially. One "ugly incident" would cost the City far more than all the profit, that you refer to, will produce in fifty years.

When is the ABC going to fine the City of Long Beach for illegally allowing alcohol sales and serving in public parks and facilities without ABC liscenses? This has been going on for years. The people involved and event operators should be fined also. The city employees who permitted the ilegal sale of alcohol on public property should be fired and lose their pensions. The local businesses supplying the booze sold illegaly need to lose their alcohol liscenses.

"Booze of any kind has been illegal in our city parks for many years–as specifically dictated by city ordinance.

But as the Press-Telegram’s Andrew Shortall writes, Parks and Recreation Commission folk will ask the Long Beach City Council this summer to allow alcohol sales–”in certain parks under specific conditions.”

Another bar fight.This time downtown. Fight at the Pike puts Seal Beach man in the hospital. When is the ABS going to shut down the river of booze flowing through LB? We need a 12am curfew and a moratorium on alcohol liscenses. No alcohol in parks. Tax the bars for enforcement. Why is the LBPD recommending the approval of an unlimited number of alcohol liscenses????????????????No wonder they have no staffing to protect homeowners or local residents. Makes you wonder?
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_12700514

Another bar fight. This time downtown. We need a 12 am curfew and tax the bars for enforcement. No alcohol in public parks. When is the ABC going to shut down the free flowing river of booze in Long Beach? When is the city going to recognize the millions$$$$ cost of alcohol enforcement property damage, and loss of quality of life to Long Beach. PressTelegramSat., "Police are investigating a fight at The Pike entertainment zone that left a 23-year-old Seal Beach man hospitalized after he was knocked unconscious early Friday. "

Shut down all nuisance bars immediately. No new alcohol permits. Add additional conditional use requirements that protect residents, safety and our quality of life.

There is now some good news on this topic. Hopefully everyone will read the post script to Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske's blog (06-24-2009) to learn that she is opposed to alcohol sales in our parks. She has been very brief because of the cost of internet access on board her cruise ship; perhaps she will expound more fully on this topic when she returns. Thanks, Gerrie!

now thats dedication!

Dark-skinned people drinking beer, oh no! When will the City Council do its job and banish all non-white conservative prudes to Mexico?

Man I wish it was 1950.

Just what does race/skin color have to do with this? Only you have gone there and in two separate comments.

I believe it's called humor or possibly "humor." ;-)

Sorry, but "boy's" sense of humor escapes me here. I simply don't "get it".

It's about time in this discussion to start asking about the status of the Park Ranger program. Just how many Park Rangers do we have left? Last I heard there were all of 5 of them. That's not enough to take care of business under the best of circumstances, much less to have to referee a booze fest in a city park. Of course, we could always bring in LBPD Officers on overtime, like that wouldn't just compound "that growing structural budget deficit" even more.
Let's face it; there are no "quick fix" solutions to this city's budget problems. The wizards at 333 w. Ocean have been incrementally sowing the seeds of this calamity for well over 10 years and even if we were to somehow find ourselves with a majority of fiscally responsible councilmembers, it would likely take another 10 years to fix the damage already done. Damn, municipal bankruptcy is starting to look better everyday.

Thunderous Applause ! Time for the big give back, and a return to fiscal reality and responsibility. Time for a Top Down Haircut. The wage and pension spikes were never sustainable. Why not seriously study Municipal Bankruptcy? Isn't that the only thing that will set the stage for reform of the bloated, super sized, pensions? Force some meaningful give backs?

During the Junk Bond crisis era, where Orange County went belly up, they brought in some real reforms? Many got pulled back into local politics when we read in the Wall Street Journal, and heard on CNBC, that Long Beach Debt had fallen to 'JUNK" status. That was a big clue, and sign of the last economic cycle.

This cycle, is a lot more serious than many, defending the sacred cow, would lead you to believe.

If the Politicians could step away from the "Family' mindset, long enough to affect some serious discipline, they might eventually be hailed as hero's to the community. It might be unpopular short term, but eventually most would agree...''It had to be done'. '' We were staring Bankruptcy square in the face''.

Agreed, our Parks are for Children, and the Elderly. Have the Booze fests downtown.

Ms Schipske will do the right thing for the average resident.

I say hooray. Selling alcohol at outdoor functions is a great way for nonprofits to raise money. If the city takes a cut, that's alright too.

Really, I don't see the problem.

Everyone misses the biggest point. While Joe Blow will be selling alcohol at his wedding event, the taxpayers will be assuming all liability when his drunk best man crashes into a car of teenagers on the way out of the Park. City sells the permit, City is liable. Why do you think the City is asking for insurance and to be named an additional insured. Isn't it great knowing that we as taxpayers will be paying for lawsuits when some irresponsible drunk does something stupid??!!!

That would make Long Beach unlike every other city in the US where drinking is allowed in public parks under certain permits. Just as getting a driver's license doesn't make the state liable for your car accidents, the city is not liable for the drunks at a festival in a park.

Oh really? Do your research. Your example has no merit. The City would be liable as the deep pocket under the type of permit we are discussing here, just as you are responsible when a drunk leaves your house party and crashes and kills someone.

Since we are trying to imagine new ways to drive revenue, let's take the next step in logic? We did a poll. We have tons of bars, and millions in booze sales. It is getting to the point where they are stealing eachothers business.

If we are turning our parks into party zones, lets do it right? Let all of the 60s, 70s crowd do a retro pot festival too? FAR OUT.

If we are in the Party Business, lets turn the Parks into Marijuana OK Zones on certain days. We can have Grateful Dead copy bands, all of the 60s and 70s icons. We'll grow our hair, get the moustache back, let the sideburns go to mutton chops, and hey, we''ll put this City on the Map? We can grab a big piece of the pot sale revenue, ticket sales, license fees. . We can make sure all of the growers have display stands. No police needed.

If booze is OK, we have friends who want to get roasted too. We'll have one big Summer of Love. Council and Staff get complimentary bong hits. You know, at times they could use them....we may be on to something here.

To heck with the Sea Festival. Let's really think out of the box, since we are contemplating Booze Parks. Drop the Sea Festival, begin the WEED FESTIVAL..

Dear Staff, we grant you the intellectual property rights to the idea. Now go burn one and write the WEED FESTIVAL Staff memo. Project the Revenues, count the dough. Makes about as much sense?

Hey, then we could really call ourselves the GREEN (as in caninbus) City?

We might get Cheech and Chong to help. Far out man...

Hey, if we are thinking out of the box.....WOODSTOCK IN THE PARK.......and the LONG BEACH WEED FESTIVAL

We'll stay home. Kidding aside, what's next?

Now here's an idea. SEX sells. Maybe be can capture some Nevada style Revenue too? You know, brothels, strip clubs, xxx movies, conventions.

That's it, rent the parks for a Porn Convention, get everybody drunk, and wasted, and we'll solve the deficit in a year? Now were cooking with Colman?

We kicked this around at lunch, final, similarly brilliant idea. NUDISM. Let's turn the Parks into a fee for permit NUDE retreat, once in a while. NUDE FEST. Makes similar sense? We can all embrace the NUDE lifestyle. Nude Volleyball, archery, horse back riding, shuffle board, golfing. Again, Council gets a free pass, and staff.

We'll rename Eldorado Park, Eldo Nudo Park? Clothing Optional Park ?

We can have a drunken, stoned, xxx, nudist, Grateful Dead , Woodstock Zone? We'd make MILLIONS, gain National notoriety, and hey, many would have a blast??.

The neighbors would explode, but since when do they matter?

Turning mellow, PG parks is kind of a first step down the slippery slope idea isn't it? Parks are Parks. Bars are Bars. Nude is......interesting.......?

Re:"Nude is......iteresting......?" Yes indeed. How about NUDE FOOTBALL? The City could field a team with Foster as quarterback and Delong as center, Or should that be Delong as quarterback and Foster as center? Either way, quite a visual image. Of course, Tom Dean would be, what else, THE RECEIVER! "Red Right on Five: Hut! Hut! Hut!....."

Thunderous Applause......fell out of the Chair laughing....tears in the eyes...Well done !!

Thank you, Residents First. Hey, there are still plenty of other positions to be filled on the roster; a little collaboration would be welcome here. We gotta find positions for Conway, Rotondo, Greet, Kojian, Schneiter, Beck, etc, etc,......The only position that I am adamant about is quarterback; it has to go to the best "ball handler"!

RE:Beck:

Go to District Weekly.Press Telegram story about Port
assisting City(Aquarium).Though in my view the concept
in chief is sound vis a via the warrants of the Coastal Act,
Beck's performance was not.Have posted comments there
thus will not duplicate here.

Since he can and does shine a set to a blinding sheen he can handle one with ease!

Our man greet!

24-69-hike!

regarding your idea for a "weed festival"

"Seattle Hempfest is held the third weekend in August. The next Seattle Hempfest is August 15-16, 2009 in Seattle, WA. The event spans three Seattle waterfront parks: Elliott Bay Park (North Entrance), Myrtle Edwards Park, and Olympic Sculpture Park (South Entrance)."

happens every year, brings out thousands of people, makes revenue for the city.

That's a terrible idea. Everyone knows fun is bad, and feeling good is evil. It says so in the Bible. We should ban all that stuff - including (especially) sex (except with your oppposite-sex, same-race spouse, no more than once a week, in the missionary position, in bed, for less than 20 minutes, and no female orgasms allowed). Daily church will be mandatory.

Beer is bad. Pot is bad. Sex is bad. Thank you for clearing that up.

Why don't you move to Iran? I think alcohol and sex are illegal there, and pot is a capital crime.