[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

My BIL keeps telling me that long Beach is one of the richest cities in the USA because of all the revenue they receive from the oil wells in the harbor. He was in the Oil business....any truth to that?

[Yaelle]

There is no truth to that rumor. Long Beach is a nice city but has been fiscally dysfunctional for quite some time. We're now in the midst of a "3-year plan" to get our financial house in order...we're talking about a $100 mil deficit. The city council foolishly voted in favor of a lavish pension plan in August '01 that has helped fuel fiscal turmoil ever since. Now they want to raise taxes and are hinting at reneging on the 3-year plan by perhaps extending the "plan" for a year or two...BTW, just enough time to allow 2 termed-out councilmembers a free shot at higher office.