Long Beach Mayor Offers State of the City Talk

Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, in his annual overview of the city's progress before about 800 guests Monday night, touted great gains in 2011 and new business growth, as well as budget cuts and pension cost reductions. But he also hinted at a Plan B demanded by the court's recent ruling ending redevelopment use by cities, the Press Telegram and LBReport.com reported.

Belmont Shore-area City Councilman Gary DeLong told LBReport he thought Mayor Foster's speech was excellently focused on the need by city leaders to live within present-day means and not in the past. "Short-term pain for long-term gain," he summarized. He also heralded Foster scolding a hold-out city employee union that has not agreed to reduce future pensions.

Pension "reform" was celebrated by Foster and others, although only future agreements can legally be altered, not existing contracts of current employees, and most cities are in retrenchment not hiring mode. (Governor Jerry Brown has for months cited that challenge in cutting big state costs to drastically reduce a huge California deficit).