Maybe Some Good Will Come of Quiksilver

Several years back, I visited the beaches of Barcelona on the Mediterranean. On the beaches, there were small restaurants called chirunguitos. There were about twelve tables at these establishments, each privately owned. Some served seafood, others burgers and beer, fruit and wine. Anyone could go to the beach and break for tapas with waitperson service, day or night.

I thought of what a great possibility this could be on the beaches of Long Beach. Offering services like upscale food and concessions would be excellent additions to the beach, rather than the city bidding out the entire food service deal to one vendor with no apparent aesthetic sense. With such foresight, Long Beach residents would be able to buy a glass of wine or beer during the summer concert series, or on any afternoon during the summer and fall. We should be able to eat salmon on a plate, at a table, as the music plays. Imagine dinner and a show on the beach. How classy that would be. 

These types of classy improvements require some type of vision from those who run City Hall. If we make the beach a complete destination, even if it is only for those of us who live here, we can grow businesses, hold events and handle all this as they do at other beach locations. Our boardwalk once had an arcade with rides, shops and ice cream stands. The beach even had a bowling alley. I think we should bring those amusements back.

The Quiksilver Pro New York event was not the city's idea. It was Quiksilver's idea. Long Beach's government should consider ways to create similar events on Long Beach's terms that should be managed by professionals on behalf of the city.  Our government adopts the Life cereal method, “Let Mikey Do It.” I think that’s what political folks refer to as “friends and family”.

As many of you comment in my blog and criticize the city in their handling of this event, it appears to be a good forum in which to consider this: they plan very little in this town. They just manage. They react rather than create. They argue rather that discuss. They make the same mistakes over and over again and blame parties rather than people.

Some have written to me that we need a mayor. I believe that would be an excellent move. A mayor would be accountable. We do not elect a city manager.  The person in that position sits at the pleasure of the city council or more accurately, the political majority. 

There are five people on the City Council. Every issue or decision is couched as three Republicans against two Democrats. That does not work because the business of the people is clouded by the hostility between the parties. Historically, the problem we face in Long Beach is we elect the parties, not the individual candidates. 

I have heard from many of you who have said that “Quiksilvergate” will bring out voters in November. That alone would make this entire debacle worthwhile.

* Stuart Osnow owns a political consulting company. The Long Beach Democratic Committee is among his clients.