Lifesaver
Dear ER:
We are property owners in Hermosa Beach who return here each summer so that our twin 10 year olds can participate in the Junior Lifeguard program. This afternoon, we were waiting for our boys to finish Junior Guards at the pier and witnessed a heroic rescue of an elderly gentleman by Officer Gaglia. He was the first responder to a man who had apparently gone into cardiac arrest and required immediate lifesaving assistance. I witnessed Officer Gaglia, without hesitation, administer CPR until the paramedics arrived. My husband and I are confident that death would have been imminent have Officer Gaglia not responded as quickly and confidently as he did. Once the paramedics arrived, we watched Officer Gaglia continue to work efficiently with the paramedics in a calm, cool, team oriented fashion. Everybody on the scene demonstrated the utmost professionalism and we are EXTREMELY proud of our police and fire/rescue teams here in Hermosa Beach.
I would like to add that this scenario happened at the same time that Junior Lifeguards at 14th street were being dismissed for the afternoon. There were many young bystanders (many of them JG’s) who witnessed the entire scene. Officer Gaglia and the other rescue team responders were an inspiration to all.
Please recognize Officer Gaglia on a job well done. Our hometown is a better place with him on the job!
Gary and Anne Kolodziej
Hermosa Beach
Esser’s math
Dear ER:
One would think a basic understanding of addition would be a prerequisite to running for City Treasurer, but apparently it is not. Dawn Esser has continually made elementary mistakes on her 460 reports, the report in which a candidate must submit the total amount of contributions received and payments made during a given time period. Furthermore, if she were to become treasurer and make such mistakes they would turn from elementary to egregious and the city would be liable.
Don’t believe me? Well, using Dawn Esser’s math 100 + 350 + 100 + 250 + 325 = 1,025. The correct answer is 1,125. This simple addition error has occurred more than three times on 460 reports filed by Ms. Esser as the ‘treasurer’ for No Power Plant.com and this Treasurer’s campaign.
She did not take care when completing the forms and does not perform due diligence. Regardless, both are inexcusable for a person running for Treasurer.
Another area where Ms. Esser is confused is noted on her campaign literature. She claims her investment experience at Bank of America (in her 20’s) is “the same types of investments our city invest in.” Actually, they are not. Many governments are not allowed to invest in the types of investments that corporations do. Government guidelines ensure a low risk for investments. She has no municipal or civic investment experience. Steve Diels does.
Vote for Steve Diels for Treasurer, he is really the only candidate that adds up.
Blaise Tracy
Redondo Beach
Diels’ math
Dear ER:
Any credible endorsement of termed-out politician [Steve] Diels for Redondo Beach Treasurer ignores Dawn Esser’s focused education and over 20 year career in finance. Her Bachelors and MBA degrees are in finance. She managed Fortune 500 company finances for nine years as well as managed the finances for a small entrepreneurial international business that successfully competed with China. Esser has specific experience in financial products our City currently invests in –a perfect candidate for Treasurer.
Mr. Diels went from Biology to a general business MBA. He’s working on an online PhD. His career experience is 22 years ownership in a small call service business his father started. He conveniently nominated himself from CEO to CFO just prior to this election to aid his campaign for Treasurer.
Mr. Diels claims he will cut the Treasurer’s salary to $25,000. He doesn’t say that the $116,000 salary is fixed for the remainder of this term. If elected, not only would he receive $116,000 he would increase his lifelong pension benefit by over $14,300 per year. Meanwhile, he would eliminate the Treasurer’s independent oversight by transferring those duties and responsibilities to the Budget and Finance staff under our City Manager. No city money would be saved.
Diels sat on the City Council for eight years, where he had authority to institute reform in the Treasurer’s office but did nothing. Now he says he wants reform, but he’s done the math and wants more pension money. Ballots are due July 23. Please vote for Dawn Esser.
Clif Groves
Redondo Beach
O’Dell fights back
Dear ER:
In response to Steve Diethelm’s letter to the editor July 4, 2013:
Mr. Diethelm put so much nonsense, exaggeration and misinformation in his letter that it is truly slanderous, because none of his comments are true. You don’t deal with $60,000,000 lawsuits as tax administrator, create over $15,000,000 in revenue and work through the ranks to President of the Association of Public Treasurers-United States & Canada by working six hours per week.
I resigned my position due to health issues and reaching the ripe young age of 70. The election did not cost the City $150,000, and I don’t get anywhere near the pension he misrepresents. I was the lowest paid department head at the city, and consequently get the lowest retirement benefits.
Whoever Steve Diethelm is, he certainly knows nothing about the RB Veterans Memorial. I am proud to be associated with the fine veterans that raised nearly $300,000 to build this beautiful memorial, and it is not over budget. After the original budget was approved, city management (aka Bill Workman) placed requirements on the project and increased the costs by over $70,000.
The letter appears to be a thinly veiled attempt to discredit me. If elected Treasurer, after having only served 2 years, Steve would receive a pension as if he had served as full time Treasurer for 10 years because of time served on the City Council. And that is for life! So his rhetoric about saving the city hundreds of thousands works out just the opposite.
Vote for Dawn Esser, she’ll do a better job for a lot less.
Ernie O’Dell
Redondo Beach City Treasurer, retired
Treasures
Dear ER:
Fellow residents, do you realize if we add the combined Treasurer salaries of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo and Hawthorne the total is less than 40 percent of what we pay our Treasurer in Redondo Beach. That’s right. The combined Treasurer salaries of these four South Bay cities equal $44,496 and we currently pay our Treasurer $116,000.
As a matter of fact, the Redondo Treasurer’s salary was at $132,000 until Steve Diels and the rest of the council (at the time) voted to lower the salary. And you know who kicked and screamed about lowering the salary during the entire process? Our past City Treasurer Ernie O’Dell, who incidentally left office with enough time left on his term to cause the city to schedule a special election, again adding wasted tax dollars.
And now Ernie O’Dell is against Steve Diels who wants to reform the position and bring the salary of the Treasurer in line with the cities mentioned above. Why on earth would Mr. O’Dell not want to reform the position? Why would he back someone that doesn’t want to reduce the bill, but keep it where it is and cut back on staff positions?
If you add it all up, Steve Diels is the candidate that makes good dollars and sense.
Cindy Gross
Redondo Beach
Candidate Diels
Dear ER:
This election is our opportunity as residents to reduce waste and improve City services. Our treasurer is paid 10 times that of our neighboring cities. The treasurer should provide the highest level of service for the lowest cost — not the highest costs. Who is going to fix this aberration?
Voters are the voice for responsible local government. It is our turn as residents to tell the City Council to reduce treasurer’s salary to save money for core services. Fire Chief Dan Madrigal says “Steve’s plan will conserve much needed capital for public safety.”
I am running to reform the office to improve service and save money. I recommend a $90,000 reduction in the treasurer’s salary. I call on the treasurer to stop irresponsible behavior such as wasting $160,000 precious public dollars on runoff elections.
We can make lemonade out of this lemon by saving $300,000 of the treasurers reported $591,000 budget. I am the only candidate who recognizes the changes needed and the only candidate with municipal, management and financial experience. I will act immediately to reduce costs and improve service.
Steve Diels
Redondo Beach
RAD Redondo
Dear ER:
Residents for Appropriate Development (RAD) was formed by Redondo Beach residents with the goal of working collaboratively with CenterCal to help create a beautiful and successful waterfront, enhancing the quality of life and environment for all.
We failed. Local residents met and communicated with CenterCal on numerous occasions but our input was ignored.
CenterCal’s plan is essentially a high density shopping mall by the sea, complete with hotel and movie theatre. Travelling down Harbor Drive you will be greeted by a parking structure and a wall of buildings. This is a harbor, but many of the boaters will be forced out of their slips near the International Boardwalk. The planned road travelling through the International Boardwalk will disrupt a sense of community in the Harbor, and will lead to more congestion and traffic. In their vision, there is little connection to the water, limited view corridors, and little open space throughout.
Is this what you want to see?
RAD is for redevelopment, but this plan is not right for Redondo. This does not capitalize on the natural beauty and uniqueness of the harbor.
If they pursue their vision, will the large number of shops and restaurant have enough customers to be successful? We do not need another white elephant like Pier Plaza. Where is the financial feasibility study? Where is detailed modeling of the plan?
Voice your concerns July 30th, 6:00 p.m., at Redondo City Council meeting, where approval is scheduled. Email RAD: redondo.rad@hotmail.com
Nadine Meissner
Redondo Beach
Garage-by-the-sea
Dear ER:
I am writing to bring your attention to the waterfront development project in South Redondo Beach. I am extremely concerned with the final project presented by CenterCal. The most important issues related to the project from a resident who lives 50 yards from the proposed project that includes a 1000 space concrete parking garage and public access road are the following:
— Statistics show increase in crime with large scale parking structures.
— Noise, pollution, and congestion from autos, buses, delivery trucks, holiday and summer heavy traffic flow. Living 50 yards away will negatively impact our quality of life and health. Why not encourage bikes, walking, other modes of non-public access.
— Are the Redondo Beach tax payers going to foot the bill if the project fails due to competing projects like MB Mall? A feasibility study needs to be conducted.
— High density. There are only two view corridors along Harbor Dr. It’s basically wall to wall construction by the sea.
— Blocking of public views. While driving and biking down Harbor Dr. we will see a massive parking structure and other building instead of the ocean, sand, and Harbor.
This project is not the right one for Redondo Beach. I would like to see the City Council have CenterCal do what they said and build a beautiful by the sea project that maintains residence quality of life, preserves public views, and fosters a clean beach environment for residence and visitors to enjoy for years to come.
DeAnna DeNaro
Redondo Beach
Hermosa’s bed tax
Dear ER:
California’s Prop-218 was essentially written by and for the benefit of commercial interests after the success of the people’s Prop-13. Prop-218 requires voters to approve virtually all taxes, however it was deceptively rigged to allow a minority of a city council to keep the people from ever even having a chance to vote on a justified tax measure.
Demagogues like Hermosa’s ceremonial Mayor Patrick Bobko babble endlessly of how worthless government is, while raising fees and other de facto taxes without voter approval, but avoid permitting the voters their requirement to vote regarding Hermosa’s transient occupancy tax (TOT) that’s 2 to 4 percent lower than many other cities in the county.
Hotels represent a high-density impact on the city’s infrastructure, public safety, residents, and other of the city’s costs, and that’s why there’s a transient occupancy tax.
In 2011 Hermosa’s council had little problem placing Bobko’s license-fee tax increases on the ballot that raised resident-business licenses almost 100 percent while raising bars little to nothing, and before that his council had little problem placing on the ballot a measure adding additional electronic communications subject to the city’s utility tax.
However when it comes to raising the tax even one or two dollars on a room with a total bill to a visitor of $100, Bobko in his absurd dribble-speak essentially implies the voters don’t have the intelligence he has to vote on a tax. Bobko, a municipal attorney, knowingly is abusing Prop-218, exactly as commercial interests rigged it, to keep voters from exercising their constitutional right to vote on a tax that a council majority may believe, after 23 years, is due for adjustment.
Hermosans have long been aware that their small city is cavalierly being given away cheap to transients and bars at the expense of needed city infrastructure improvements. The council should thus place on the ballot a measure asking the voters to authorize an increase in the TOT cap, as Manhattan Beach has already accomplished, to 12 percent.
Howard Longacre
Hermosa Beach
