Open letter to the City Council of Seal Beach
I have been renting a summer place in Seal Beach for a number of years. We do that because we love Seal Beach and what it has to offer.
It seems a few summer renters have caused you to upset the whole town of Seal Beach. We are not all like those few, and since someone complained you have taken it upon yourselves to punish all; why don’t you deal with the ones who caused the problems?
It seems like you want to hurt everyone for a few people’s mistakes, implementing the strangest new rules and feeling high and mighty.
While in Seal Beach we shop, eat, spend our money all to the benefit of Seal Beach.
Why can’t the City Council see that?
It seems they have decided this is the way it is going to be, like it or not.
It seems the mighty “City Council” has offended Long Beach, Ruby’s restaurant, Seal Beach Pier, and others I am sure, as well as the great people of Seal Beach.
I for one would like to see a list: name, date, time, of complaint on this matter; are there maybe five or 10 or hundreds; is it the same person continually?
Then maybe we could understand better what the problem is.
I am very sad that this has happened to such a wonderful town, and I hope that the good citizens of Seal Beach will rise up and vote the City Council members out of office. Don’t let a few “offenders” ruin everything for the majority.
Grace Tindel
Fort Smith, Ark.
Obama’s minimum wage increase proposal
In his State of the Union Address last month, President Obama proposed an increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 per hour.
He announced that “ . . . in the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty.”
This recommended change sounds promising and may improve the financial disposition of many low-income families.
However, it seems questionable whether a minimum annual income of $18,720 (pre-tax) will adequately decrease the number of people living in poverty, their potential for placing at above-poverty status notwithstanding.
Presently, the federal poverty level for a family of two is set at an annual income of $15,010 (pre-tax).
Most American families are composed of more than two members, usually, two adults and more than one child.
The federal poverty guidelines set the poverty level of a family with four members at an annual income of $23,550 (pre-tax). Today, about 20 percent of American children are living in poverty.
Of them, many will continue the cycle of generational poverty. Many Americans work hard at minimum wage jobs.
There is an increase in the number of minimum wage earning workers who have to work two or more jobs concurrently to make ends meet.
Many parents struggle to keep up with the high cost of basic needs, such as rent, health care, groceries, and gasoline.
President Obama’s $9 minimum wage proposal represents a well-meant beginning.
However, this increase is still insufficient in terms of eliminating poverty. It does not offer a realistic solution for low-income families.
This minimum wage increase of $1.75 represents a Band-Aid treatment for a gaping wound. It does not constitute a viable solution.
We social workers strongly urge lawmakers to consider the option of a living wage instead. The living wage represents a valid solution to end poverty, eventually, for people who work full-time.
Sara Tousi,
Wesley Norvell, Tiease Lee and Derek Baldridge
Masters of Social Work students
CSU Long Beach
Seal Beach destroyed fishing activity on pier
Regulations outside of the State of California Fish and Game regulations are needed to be enforced.
This talk about the Seal Beach Pier needing cops or lifeguards to enforce any city codes ( laws ) is a joke pure and simple!
Fishermen/women/kids done nothing that I have ever seen to impose any new laws outside of what are posted or are state regulated.
You wonder why there is no sports fishing boats that operate at the Seal Beach Pier anymore!
You wonder why there is no tackle shop on the pier anymore!
Why you can’t buy live bait on the pier anymore?
It is because none of the individuals who want to impose new laws ever fished on the pier, especially back in the day—1960s-70s—when the tackle shop was at the end and live bait was available to fishermen and the pier was alive with activity that Seal Beach has destroyed. I said it. Now you can say your peace.
Ray Spitzer
Pier suggestion
I have no idea how much it would cost, but I would love to see an outdoor dining deck built above the fishing area around the pier restaurant.
Jim Burke
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