Writing Shotgun

JENSEN WILL OPPOSE DELONG FOR 3RD DISTRICT SEAT

 

 Terry Jensen, a business and real estate consultant who supported Gary DeLong’s run for the Long Beach City Council’s in 2006, tells The District Weekly that he will file papers Monday to become a candidate against DeLong’s run for re-election in the 3rd district next year.

“Four years ago I told Gary that I wished were nine of him on the City Council—I thought he was going to do a great job,” says Jensen 64, a lifetime resident of Long Beach. “But DeLong has been involved in four train-wreck budgets, and we’re headed for another one next year. I have yet to see him work for any substantive change on how we are going to manage our resources. I have multiple dissatisfactions with the direction he and the current administration are going.”

Jensen gave voice to some of them in this July interview with The District Weekly.

Jensen was a leading opponent of Measure I, the property parcel tax proposed by Mayor Bob Foster and supported by DeLong, in 2008. In fact, he accepted an invitation to debate Foster at the August 2008 meeting of the Long Beach Press Club—an invitation the Mayor declined.

Jensen also opposed the recent land swap with Tom Dean—a well-connected supporter of DeLong and Foster—that traded the city’s Public Service Yard for Los Cerritos Wetlands-area property. The exchange, which the city auditor judged was financially lopsided in favor of Dean, is currently on hold because of the discovery of pollutants on the wetlands-area property.

“DeLong has been involved with one fiscal disaster after another,” says Jensen. “In the just-passed city budget he voted to give increases to just about every department knowing the city is broke. Somebody has got to step up and do something. I’m going to try.”

Tags: , , , ,

  • The Toad
    Hi, Dave W--It's coming up on 7AM on Friday the 9th; I am wondering what Terry Jensen has done since you broke this story. Can you or anyone else enlighten me/us as to just what action(s) he has taken during the week? It will likely damage his credibility if he doesn't follow through and pull papers as he told you he would. THANKS!
  • Laurence B. Goodhue
    RELATED STORY:Check LB Report on nice Kudos Foster received from T.Boone
    Pickens.


    Maybe we could convince Pickens to hire Foster---and De Long----ship them
    back to Texas.

    Their land swapping skills(buying toxic pig in poke) could be front and center
    on their resume!!! The slight of hand bit with the parcel tax would surely be
    a clincher!!!

    Anyone have Picken's contact number???Let us get the ball rolling.We might
    be able to get them both out of town by the end of the month!!!!
  • Mike Ruehle
    The District Weekly ran an article on March 18, 2009 titled “BACK DOOR MEN” about another DIRTY DELONG DEAL involving Tom Dean getting another gift of public property from the City of Long Beach (below link). Though unaccredited, I believe Terry Jensen was the source for much of the information showing DELONG sponsored the lease of 10+ acres of city owned port property for 50-years at $0.06/square foot, whereupon, Mr. Dean immediately leased the same property back out for $0.22/square foot, even though Mr. Dean secured the lease with promises of turning the property into a revenue generating crane business. DELONG was the sponsor of the dirty deal and made the motion to approve it even though it wasn’t in his district.

    http://thedistrictweekly.com/2009/print/news/ba...

    Cowardly DeLong uses names PatBryant and Jacki4LB to anonymously comment on newspaper articles. Below is the DISQUS link to PatBryant’s comments.

    http://disqus.com/PatB/

    Following Jensen’s comment to the BACK DOOR MEN article about how the City should be ashamed of doing deals such as this, DeLong made the following anonymous PatBryant comment about Terry Jensen.

    “Jensen already suffered his consequences at the ballot box. 8th District residents said "no thanks" when he ran for City Council. Please Terry, stop whining. You were given a position on the RDA, and then you leaked confidential information to a developer.”

    I truly believe DeLong’s anonymous comment is a perfect example of how classless DeLong can be when he thinks nobody knows it’s him. DeLong is really the whiner. He is also a coward. It also is an example of how DeLong is willing to defend his buddy Tom Dean, even though Mr. Jensen was a DeLong campaign contributor. DeLong is 4-years overdue for being voted out.
  • Mike Ruehle
    The way I see it, Jensen only has two weaknesses that DeLong will try to flaunt. DeLong will falsely say Jensen did something wrong following his resignation from the RDA and also claim he is a carpetbagger.

    Following Jensen’s resignation from the RDA Board, the city investigated a disgruntled city staff employee’s allegations that Jensen had done something inappropriate. This made big headlines due to Mayor Foster’s involvement. However, the City Attorney’s investigation found no wrong doing and exonerated Jensen from the allegations. People who don’t believe me can contact City Attorney Shannon to get their facts straight.

    If anyone is called a carpetbagger, it should be DeLong who moved from Palace Verdes Peninsula to his 5-bedroom 5,100 square foot house in Park Estates 9-years ago. Terry Jensen has lived in Long Beach for over 62 years and has spent more time in District 3 than DeLong. Who do you think would know more about Long Beach; Jensen who has lived and worked in the Long Beach real estate business for 62 years or DeLong, the trust fund baby who recently bought a consultant company that analyzes company’s phone bills?
  • Dave in Alamitos Beach
    5100 square feet?! That's a good enough reason not to vote for someone right there. Who needs that kind of ostentatious excess?
  • Laurence B. Goodhue
    Plaintiff's and their attorney's involved in negligence suits for depraved
    indifference are very attracted to such.
  • Mike Ruehle
    It's almost a big as his swimming pool.
  • lbresident
    I think that is Palos, not Palace.
  • Mike Ruehle
    They must have changed the name after DeLong left.
  • Mike Ruehle
    Is it time to break out the "SO LONG DELONG" website.
  • rino2
    For most of the people who don't follow the inner workings of government, a simple gauge of who would be working for what, is the "fruits of their labor". Jenson spearheaded defeating measure I. DeLong has been working inside deals.
  • Mike Ruehle
    Terry,

    Whats the name of your committee and where do we send the checks?
  • Dan
    Gary DeLong is the only council person who understands a budget, can read a budget, put together a budget and take on entrenched special interests.

    He is a professional, runs a first rate staff and is very attentive to his district. While you may disagree you cannot question his abilities, character, honesty or intelligence.

    DeLong is exactly the type of professional this city needs if it wants to dig it self out off constant, stupid mistakes the city council has made over the past 10 -15 years. We are now paying for unfunded pensions, bloated city goverment, ridiculous city contracts and unguided plans. These structural problems they city now faces are by product of failed past city goverment.
  • Laurence B. Goodhue
    That second paragraph is absurd on its face.
  • RJ
    Think again Dan. There are a growing number of people who have realized that Gary DeLong is one of the shadiest elected officials in LB.

    **While you may disagree you cannot question his abilities, character, honesty or intelligence. **
  • Fisch
    "DeLong is exactly the type of professional this city needs if it wants to dig it self out off constant, stupid mistakes the city council has made over the past 10 -15 years."

    De Long has been a councilperson for at least 25% of those 'past 10-15 years', so I would say that he at least shares some of the blame.
  • Mike Ruehle
    Contrary to what you say, I most certainly call into question DeLong's ability, character, intelligence and especially honesty. How many examples do I need to provide you? Let's see what I can name off the top of my head:

    1. Dirty Wetlands swap.
    2. Wetlands destroyer Sean Hitchcock episode.
    3. Home Depot.
    4. Livingston Tot Lot Childrens Playground.
    5. Belmont Shore Beach facilities.
    6. Notifying residents organizations about street repairs.
    7. Notifying residents organizations about sidewalk repair.
    8. Implementing beach parking pilot test.
    9. Bar buddies Belmont Shore alcohol and entertainment permits.
    10. Appointing Parking Commissioners depite opposition from the Community.
    11. SEADIP.

    Give me another 5-minutes and I'll come up with another 10 or 20 examples. If you want to know the details on each example, just google my profile and you will find I have discussed each at length.

    DeLong is a scourge on our city and for the residents who inhabit it. DeLong has no balance between residents and business. It is all business with him even though residential taxpayers provide the majority of property tax to the city. As a residence association Boardmember, I am tired of his dishonesty and negligence in dealing with issues impacting us residents. Its time the balance tipped the other way for a while.
  • we_deserve_better
    I don't think I saw "had a kitchen cabinet/advisory committee whose meetings, he insisted, were not required to be Open and Public, contrary to California law." Or, "refuses to become involved in neighborhood issues until a consensus becomes clear." [yeah, poor grammar, but his exact words about Home Depot, post an election in which this was one of, or 'the'biggest issue.]
  • The Toad
    I hope that Terry will tell "us" just what type of indication(s) of support his exploratory committee is looking for. I will be thrilled and delighted to support him in any way possible. He was a great 8th district neighbor; many of us were hoping he would be our next councilperson.

    The 8th district's loss is the 3rd district's gain; please don't blow it. The most foolish/counterproductive thing that could happen now is for the 3rd to field too many candidates which could dilute/spread the vote and allow the incumbent to be re-elected.

    If history is any kind of teacher, look for the "power pricks" to recruit at least one "tool" to run as a spoiler. Their goal will actually be to get the incumbent re-elected but they will provide their spoiler with only enough resources to attack a challenger like Terry Jensen in the hopes of diluting the anti-incumbent vote.

    CAVEAT EMPTOR!
  • wrongbeachjohn
    Look for that phony prick unionboss from the chamber to scrum up some stooge to "run".
    Where does his last mark, josh lowenthal, live?
    randy have you thought about justin rudd? He does a lot of good but he sure noticed that money flows and follows.
  • Justin came very close to running for Council last time but thought better of it at the last minute. This, to my mind, was both a blessing and a curse for all of us in the 3rd.

    Justin might have made an excellent Council member but his strongest talents lie in other areas of public service, most especially in the volunteer arena. Our city benefits far more greatly and is a much better place because C.A.T. exists and because Justin remains in place to lead them.

    On the other hand a City Council full of people of Justin Rudd's moral caliber, humility, fiscal responsibility and civic dedication would make a fine City finer still.
  • Laurnece B. Goodhue
    You are right on target.

    The ideal situation would be for Gary De Long to just drop out.He knows that
    his former supporter is well qualified.He,knows also;he agreed to run not
    fully understanding what the job entailed;now realizes he simply lacks the
    DNA to do the job.

    What remains to be seen is if he has the character to stand up and do what
    is best for the district and the the City.

    Not sure if he partakes of such...but maybe we could buy him a bar stool at
    one of his favorite spots on 2nd Street--or all of them-if that is what it takes!!!
  • phil
    How Goodhue....are you one of the Belmont Shore goofs who bought a house next to 2nd street and are now complaining about the noise....pal you need your DNA checked and a drink!!!
  • Laurence B. Goodhue
    Phil:

    As inndicated the answer to your question is no.

    Yet,it is most telling for you to confirm De Long;s view of
    resident's who must so suffer what they do----in large measure because De Long hands out variances like popcorn.
  • Laurence B, Goodhue
    The answer to your question is no.Though I among am among the
    increasing legions who have noticed a definite deterioration in caliber
    of those that are flocking to Second Street. So to apparently has
    Madison Ave et al which,say what you might about it-is generally,though not always,pretty much on target when committing
    their dollars to something.They were targeting a sleaze market.They
    did their sums(which by your post, you Phil,obviously do not).They
    wanted to attract the sleaze element!! Where did they put their
    billboard?? Res Ipsa Loquitur!!!
blog comments powered by Disqus
 

© 2007-2008 Seven Days Publishing LLC.