Bill to ease Hermosa Beach oil dispute is dropped

Hermosa Beach's legal mess with a jilted oilman has gotten stickier, as a state leader dropped legislation that could have cleared up the dispute.

[John von Germany]

HA HA HA.

[MLyn]

Typical Lieu...say something without doing proper research and then backpedal as fast as possible when questioned on it.

[37 year HB resident]

If Macpherson does not accept the "1% nuisance-value" settlement, lets go to court. Do you really think that a jury will award 1 cent to some fat-cat oilman, with todays gas prices? I think not.
And to von germany...you think its funny? Your laughing only because you wish you could live in our beautiful beach town. You can gobble browns in whatever dump city you live in.

[50yr HB resident]

I am glad to hear this, no matter what HB's situation might be... This was bad legislation.

[PAY UP]

They should have to pay up, since it was a valid contract. MacPherson is just a local dude, not some fat cat oilman. He lives in Santa Monica.

[Ticker]

37 year HB resident wrote:

If Macpherson does not accept the "1% nuisance-value" settlement, lets go to court. Do you really think that a jury will award 1 cent to some fat-cat oilman, with todays gas prices? I think not.
And to von germany...you think its funny? Your laughing only because you wish you could live in our beautiful beach town. You can gobble browns in whatever dump city you live in.

I think it's funny too. Oil Beach will pay big time as well it should.

[Ticker]

MLyn wrote:

Typical Lieu...say something without doing proper research and then backpedal as fast as possible when questioned on it.

I saw Ted at the Green Hills Memorial Day event. I thought he was some little kid until they introduced him. Nice of him to show up though. Harmon, Hahn and some other riff-raff were there also.

[Ticker]

Referring to the Politicos not the Vets.

[GOOD]

Hermosa needs to pay the piper.

[ROSIE FOGG]

Well, we all know who caused this. Maybe we can butcher her and sell her by the ounce to pay it off?

[freebie]

37 year HB resident wrote:

If Macpherson does not accept the "1% nuisance-value" settlement, lets go to court. Do you really think that a jury will award 1 cent to some fat-cat oilman, with todays gas prices? I think not.
And to von germany...you think its funny? Your laughing only because you wish you could live in our beautiful beach town. You can gobble browns in whatever dump city you live in.

Hey Rossamond, why are you agitating to piss away the cities money again. This is a loser. Pay, cut, and run.

What about the city management, how can they lie to the city council by giving them that BS letter they sent Leiue to mislead them into thinking there was progress. Once a liar, always a liar.

"He maintained, however, that the bill was successful in brokering recent settlement discussions between the city and Macpherson. "

- in other words he finally figured out it was unconstitutional. The citys attorney knew that too, Why did he misslead the council into thinking it offered any hope ? Perhaps so he could rack up more billeable hours on this legal missadventure ? Most probably.

City council needs to wake up. Or do they like being BSed by their employees ?

[Frank]

Rosamond Fogg has continually said the City of Hermosa Beach would not have to pay much of anything over this lawsuit. Then how come the city has offered to pay mover 4 million to settle now. Nice going Rosamond Fogg.

[Worrywart]

I wonder if they are still going forward with the new city hall? I bet that's why they wanted that $257/parcel tax they said was for additional classrooms. The last bond measure for new classrooms, they built a gym.

[Zeppers]

Let the dispute be settled where it SHOULD have been settled years ago - IN COURT. Hermosa Beach has nothing to fear from Macpherson Oil because, beyond the cost they put out to get a permit after the oil ban, they they've not been damaged.

[Worrywart]

Zeppers wrote:

Let the dispute be settled where it SHOULD have been settled years ago - IN COURT. Hermosa Beach has nothing to fear from Macpherson Oil because, beyond the cost they put out to get a permit after the oil ban, they they've not been damaged.

Hahahahaha, let's wait and let the Federal government give out all the leases, like they did in 2001 & 2002 for our national park drilling to "hand picked" (By our President) contractors they are "assured" of!

That way we can be assured of NO local input on any operations, no residential or state interference on emminent domain issues, no guaranteed local income, jobs, reserve ALL PROFIT for the oil companies, just like the current Federal issued mineral lease contracts being tapped. Let's be just like other states' "public" and let the Feds make tremendous personal profit off the nation's, the public's resources!

Certainly, a Bush favorite, Exxon/Mobile will be awarded a significant portion of the contracts, LET'S INSURE THERE WILL BE NO CITIZEN RECOURSE/REIMBURSEMENT WHEN "incidents" occur, i.e. Valdez!

What a pretty picture that paints for the future of California beaches! And budget.

And through all this loss, Hermosa residents will still be paying on this lawsuit, while watching the tankers smoke drift over the pier.

Or maybe, California should quickly make contracts, that WILL benefit and assist our current budget shortfall (CA employee credit union is the strongest in the nation, primarily because the main investment is in oil companies) that these unfavorable Federal leases cannot "infringe" upon.

CA, FL, and Alaska are the only states holding out. 47 other states WANT MORE OIL and think (in error) offshore drilling will solve the high price at the pump. The latest polls show 70% of U.S. citizens WANT OFFSHORE DRILLING.

McCain dared Congress back in to act on offshore drilling/energy problem.

lol

The destiny of our nation's offshore oil deposit off Hermosa, will soon be way out of Hermosa's influence on what happens.

Got a pair of them rose colored glasses to share?

[Just Me Wolfie]

MLyn wrote:

Typical Lieu...say something without doing proper research and then backpedal as fast as possible when questioned on it.

And the dumb ass City Council who thought that was going to save us, drill away baby and leave some of the cash for the citizens of Hermosa Beach.

[Just Me Wolfie]

freebie wrote:

<quoted text>
Hey Rossamond, why are you agitating to piss away the cities money again. This is a loser. Pay, cut, and run.
What about the city management, how can they lie to the city council by giving them that BS letter they sent Leiue to mislead them into thinking there was progress. Once a liar, always a liar.
"He maintained, however, that the bill was successful in brokering recent settlement discussions between the city and Macpherson. "
- in other words he finally figured out it was unconstitutional. The citys attorney knew that too, Why did he misslead the council into thinking it offered any hope ? Perhaps so he could rack up more billeable hours on this legal missadventure ? Most probably.
City council needs to wake up. Or do they like being BSed by their employees ?

The City Council is a bunch of wimps, yah Lieu to the rescue, yah right!

They better go pound some sand, and get this taken care of...gee, north of the Pier, Manhattan Beach, South of the Pier, Redondo Beach, who is going to gobble us up!!!

[South Bay Heart]

Wasn't this the same City Council that started the "Revitalization of Downtown" that metastasized into the BARmosa Beach that is so popular on the Daily Breeze Forum?
Instead of supporting and promoting the auto repair, furniture and surf shops on PCH and valley drive that created sales tax revenue (and employed a lot of locals) the city went with continuous bars on Pier and Hermosa Avenues.
The oil royalties were supposed to pay for running the city and pay big salaries to city employees.

[Worrywart]

BARmosa goes back over 50 years, because the Lighthouse Cafe was the only bar in a many city area open until 5:00 am.

I believe it was the same city council that cut that license to 2:00 a.m. that revitalized downtown; a totally different one, dedicated more to preserving the historical surf party atmosphere of the beach.

The new city council, however, is more concerned with making Hermosa a "family community" with better schools ... I believe they would be happy to see Hermosa Beach turn into Marina Del Rey, a community of high rise family condos, where the ONLY place you can see the sky is from the sand.

[Rosamond]

Hey, "Freebie" - that comment was written by somebody else, but they are right.

So long as I ran across your post, it bears repeating - a city may not ever contract away its authority to act in the public interest - nor is it financially liable for doiong so. The city's monetary obligation to MacPherson does not extend beyond what MacPherson spent pursuing permits after the voters banned oil drilling.